He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not
by Shouhei
Summary: Trory. Begins during Season One's Rory's Dance, but what if it didn't end the way it did on the show? Oh the possibilities Ch. 20 is up! Please Read and Review!
1. Fighting Leads to The Bangles

**Disclaimer:** I have a recurring dream where Gilmore Girls is mine. I'm trying to get help, but until then.... IT'S NOT MINE!!!

**A/N:** Hallo my lovelies! I'm so very excited to be taking on a new story! I've been going crazy w/out a multi-chapter trory project ;) Luckily, it's Christmas vacation, so I have plenty of time to write hehehe! Enjoy!

**Thanx:** I must thank my dear beta, Katherine (rosie4299) who helps me fix my blunders in every story I write! She's wonderful and I love her dearly! Go read her stories!!!!

**Rating:** PG-13 (for now... it will go up)

**Time Frame:** Season 1 Chilton, set during episode entitled "Rory's Dance" only w/ my own twist to it!

**Chapter 1:** Fighting Leads to The Bangles

Tristan glared at the scene before him. His Mary was dancing with some giant beanstalk. _Oh great, and there's the kiss_. Tristan thought he was about to puke at the disgusting show the two were putting on. Just then, his date slinked up to him. Tristan looked at the dress she had chosen to wear, and while it gave a nice view for him and anyone else, it made her look like a cheap slut. He glanced back at Rory and saw how beautiful and classy she looked. That was definitely something his date, Cissy, lacked.

"Okay, I'm perfect now," Cissy said.

"Great," Tristan replied, not really caring. His eyes were still fixed on Rory and her stupid boyfriend.

"You wanna dance?"

"Nope."

"You wanna eat?"

"Nope."

Cissy sighed and decided to ask him the only thing he could possibly say yes to. She hated going to these stupid things, anyway, but she usually tried to make the best of it. But now, she was with Tristan, and that meant doing only one thing.

"You wanna go make out?"

With one last glance to Rory, Tristan said, "Yeah, alright, let's go."

As Rory and Dean danced, Rory's gaze fell to where Tristan's scantily clad date was now pulling him out the door. She had seen him watching her with Dean, and in a way, she felt guilty, like she was cheating on him. But that's ridiculous. She hated Tristan. Well, hate is a strong word. He's more like an annoying pest who won't go away. But is it good that he won't go away? No! He's rich and snobby and bugs the hell out of you! But he's also so hot. What! Wait, where did that come from?! Rory shook the thoughts from her head as she heard Dean talking.

"So, Ponyboy, you happy?"

"Yeah, I'm happy," Rory said with a sigh. In a way, she didn't think she was.

----------------

Tristan and Cissy returned from their make out session about an hour after they had left. Rory's eyes fell on the two of them. Cissy chose to fix her messy hair and her twisted skirt right in front of everyone. The site made Rory want to smack her for all decent women in the world. Just as her blood began to boil, her date began talking again. Rory decided she hated dances.

"So, uh, you want to maybe go?"

Rory's heart soared when he uttered those words! He wasn't having a good time, either. Now, they could just part and no one would get hurt, and nothing would be lost. Dean would always be special to her, since he was her first kiss, but he really wasn't the guy for her. As she replied to Dean, her eyes found where Tristan was drinking a glass of punch and practically groping his date. It was gross, but he was the type of guy that could make her feel alive, and that was something she had never really felt.

"You're bored. I'm sorry. Yeah, let's go, right away."

"I'm not bored. I thought, you know, there's still a little time left, maybe we could get a cup of coffee somewhere, hang out a little, take a walk. You know, just us," Dean said with a smile.

Crap. This was going to be harder than Rory thought. Here he was staring at her with this almost puppy-dog look. Rory knew that Dean wasn't going to give up so easily. He really liked her, and she liked him, too. But that pesky blonde boy kept showing up in her thoughts any time she was with Dean. It wasn't fair to Dean for her to be thinking of another guy when they were together. Rory decided just to get through the night, though.

"That'd be nice."

"No, you stay. I'll get the coats," Dean told her, his eyes lighting up like a Christmas tree.

This was definitely going to be harder than she thought. Tristan watched as the two separated, and was very glad to see Paris walk up to Rory in a huff. They were soon engulfed in an argument, so Tristan took this time to step in front of Dean. Things were about to get interesting.

Rory barely made it through her encounter with Paris before she saw a confrontation of Dean and Tristan. The site of it made her heart skip a beat! She rushed over, and caught the tail end of their conversation just as Tristan stepped in Dean's way, again.

"You're kidding, right?" Dean practically laughed.

"Why, are you going somewhere?"

"Get out of my way _Dristan_."

Tristan smirked at Dean, "Oh, aren't you clever."

Rory stepped between them, but was inclined to agree with Tristan... it was a horrible excuse for an insult. Dean could have walked away, and she knew it. Tristan isn't really a threat, but she could tell that Dean didn't want to give this up.

"Hey, what's going on?" Rory asked them, knowing perfectly well what was happening.

"Nothing. Just getting to know your boyfriend here," Tristan said, his eyes leaving Dean for a moment to gaze at the angel before him.

"It's going really well, don't you think?"

"Oh yeah. We're just about to build a clubhouse," Tristan said, slightly amusing himself.

"Okay. Well I hate to break up the party, but we should go," Rory told Dean, just wishing this night would end.

"Stay out of this, Rory," Dean told her.

"Oh, so you have to tell the Little Girl what she can and can't do."

Dean gritted his teeth and stepped in front of Tristan, towering over him. Tristan took a step towards Dean and they glared at each other. Rory knew this wouldn't end well, especially when she saw Dean shove Tristan. Rory inwardly groaned. Why couldn't he of just walked away? Tristan is harmless if you just ignore him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Dean asked Tristan.

"Okay, you will not push me again," Tristan said through gritted teeth.

This guy had just overstepped his bounds. Rory glanced around and noticed several other people around them had stopped to watch the two argue. It definitely didn't look like either of them was going to walk away. Rory wanted to crawl under a table and stay there to avoid the humiliation.

"Are you seriously trying to act tough? You're wearing a tie for God's sake," Dean laughed.

"Outside! Now!" Tristan yelled. It was the first time he'd raised his voice.

The music came to a screeching halt, and everyone watched the two boys as their anger levels rose higher and higher. Rory heard Dean make some remark about Tristan looking like an accountant and that was it. Rory watched in horror, as they started fighting. This was awful! She never should have asked Dean. He doesn't belong here! She didn't even belong here. If she hadn't of decided to go to this stupid dance, then she could be at home with her mother eating tons of junk food and watching the classics. Plus, her mother wouldn't be having back spasms. This whole night sucked.

Finally, several guys pulled them apart and held them back. They continued to shout insults to each other, and Rory started thinking about how possessive Dean had been. He had been acting like she was his wife, not his... well whatever they were. This wasn't right.

"You don't want to fight me Tristan!"

"Why not?"

"'Cause I'll kill you, idiot! Come on, Rory, let's go."

Rory suddenly didn't feel safe with him. The fact that he said he'd kill Tristan was enough for her to shake her head. That was it. She was through with him and there was no way in hell she was getting into a car with him. He was way too angry. Tristan seemed to have calmed himself almost instantaneously, but Dean was still clenching his jaw.

"Rory?"

"No. I'm sorry Dean, but I think you should go."

"Fine," Dean said as he stormed out of the dance.

Luckily, the music started to play and Rory looked around the room as everyone got back to dancing, realizing the show was over. There would definitely be talk about it back at Chilton on Monday, though.

"So, nice scene," Tristan said, walking up to her.

"Right back at ya."

"It seems you've lost your ride. I'll take you home, if you want, since it was partially my fault."

Rory looked into his eyes and felt her knees go weak. She nodded and said a quick thank you. Tristan told her he'd be right back, and he quickly arranged for a friend of his to take Cissy home. Although, that was probably not needed since the last time he saw her she was flirting with anything in pants. He grabbed Rory's coat from the closet, along with his own and then led her towards his brand new BMW.

Rory was surprised at the turn of events. She came here with Dean, telling herself that she hated Tristan and he was just an annoying guy who thought of her as some sort of conquest. Now, she thought differently. Dean was a nice guy, but very possessive. Technically, they weren't even boyfriend and girlfriend. Tristan was the type of guy that would let her have her space if she needed it. Rory slipped her hand out of the bracelet Dean made her and dropped it into her purse. Bye-bye Dean.

Tristan opened the passenger door for her and Rory stepped in. This was definitely a new experience for her. Dean never opened any doors for her. It was kind of nice, and made her feel special. The logical part of her brain knew it was probably just instinct for him because it had been drilled into his head from the time he was young, but still.

"So, I'm not sure exactly how to get to your house."

"Oh, I'll tell you. It really isn't that hard."

"Hey, can we listen to some music?"

"Sure," Tristan told her.

"Can I pick the CD?"

"Yeah, I have some back..." he began, but trailed off as he watched her pull a CD out of her purse.

"What's that?"

"The Bangles."

Tristan suppressed a laugh as the 80's rock music flooded the car. He should have known that Rory would like something weird. She was a very strange girl, but she intrigued him because of that. Rory read all the time, and she ate lunch alone. It seemed as though she didn't need the approval of others to feel good about herself. That was something Tristan didn't think he'd ever understand.

"So, why do you have a CD in your purse?"

"Oh, my mom told me you should always have one with you. That way, if the music is crappy, you can pop it in."

"Why The Bangles, though?"

"Oh, this was actually my mom's favorite band when she was in high school. When I was born, she considered naming me after the lead guitarist. Of course she was whacked out on Demerol, so she named me after herself instead."

"Your mother sounds like quite a character."

"Oh, she is, but she's my best friend and we talk about everything."

"Everything?"

"Yeah. Oh, make a right up here."

"You mean you can even talk to her about sex?"

"Uh, yeah," Rory said, blushing a little. "It's not our favorite conversation, but we do talk about it sometimes. I got the first 'Birds and the Bees' talk when I was two."

"What!?" Tristan said with a laugh.

"Yeah, we're freakishly linked."

"I have to meet her," Tristan laughed.

Rory almost froze when he said that. Did that mean he really liked her, or what? She didn't think he asked many girls to meet their mothers. But what did that mean? Tristan was definitely an enigma. Rory looked out of her window and saw the door to Miss Patty's studio was open.

"I guess Miss Patty forgot to lock up."

"Who?"

"Miss Patty. She teaches dance and she was even on Broadway once."

"Oh. Did you ever take lessons."

"Yeah, for about a year. I sucked. I fell all the time, and my mom was terrified I was going to break something."

"Oh my God! I have to see the place where Rory Gilmore fell on her ass."

"Okay, I'm not really looking forward to going home, anyways."

Tristan was surprised that Rory agreed to go with him so quickly. They stepped out of the car and walked into the studio. Rory showed him all the pictures of Miss Patty, and he couldn't believe that it was all the same woman. He even saw a picture of Rory when she was in her ballet get-up.

"You were a very cute five-year-old," he told her, honestly.

"Why thank you. I'm sure you were too, what with the messy blonde hair and the little smirk on your face."

"Hey! I didn't develop the smirk until middle school!" Tristan teased.

They both laughed, and Rory accidentally dropped her purse. Tristan's gentleman instinct kicked in again and he bent over and picked it up for her. It was surprisingly heavy.

"So, what do you have in here. Besides the Bangles, I mean."

"I don't know. A lipstick, five-dollar bill. Gum, hair spray, a book."

"Ah, I should have guessed that."

"Yes, you should have."

"So, what book is it?"

"The Portable Dorothy Parker."

Rory leads him over to some yoga mats and they sit down on them. She begins to read out loud, and Tristan listens intently. He loved hearing how excited she got at certain parts. It was great to see how intently she read. Sometimes, she would almost miss the bell during lunch if she was focused too hard. Rory was getting very uncomfortable in the positions she was in, so she backed up to lean against the wall, next to Tristan. Well, she tried to do that while continuing to read, and so she misjudged the distance. The next thing she knew, she had leaned against something warm and very much alive. Rory started to pull away, but Tristan's hand snaked around her waist and brought her back against him. Rory stopped reading and looked at him.

"What..." she began, but he cut her off with a kiss.

A soft kiss that left her knees weak and her head swimming. With Dean, she had always worried about what to do while kissing, but Tristan made it seem so easy. She just melded to his mouth and he pulled her body closer to his. He licked her lips and she opened her mouth automatically to accept his tongue as it swept in and explored her mouth.

They pulled away and after a moment, Rory opened her eyes and looked into Tristan's. He was smiling at her. She picked up the book and went back to reading as the two of them laid there, not caring about Chilton or Dean or the time. Soon, the two exhausted teens fell sound asleep.

**A/N:** Did you like it? I hope so, because I've been toying with this idea for quite a while. I found all the dialogue that I took from the show on 

Please review!!!


	2. More Fighting and Uncertainty

**Disclaimer:** OMG, Gilmore Girls doesn't belong to me!!! How many times do I have to say it???

**A/N:** Hallo peeps! If anyone is interested in being a part of my Trory Winter Fic Exchange, please check out my website All the info is on there. If you have any questions, please email me at I also wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, or a Happy Kwanzaa. If none of those apply to you, then happy holidays!!! hehe ;) Enjoy!

**Thanx:** To my very special beta, Katherine (rosie4299). Without her, I would be lost. Read her stories, they're posted on my favorite's page!!!!! I'd also like to thank my reviewers, without them I would be writing for myself. That's just sad.

**Rating:** PG-13 (patience ppl, the smut will come ;)

**Chapter 2:** More Fighting and Uncertainty

The sun slowly rose as Tristan and Rory slept beside each other, oblivious to the women who were entering the studio on that freezing morning. The women began to murmur amongst themselves when they noticed the two dressed up teens sound asleep on the mats.

"Rory, honey. It's Miss Patty. Rory? Rory, what are you doing here?"

"Miss Patty?" Rory replied, sleepily.

"Yes. Have you been here all night?"

"Oh my God! Tristan, wake up!"

"Morning Mary."

"Miss Patty, what time is it?"

"5:30, dear."

"Oh my God! We fell asleep! How could we have fallen asleep?"

"Rory, calm down!"

"Where's my purse? Where's my purse?" Rory asked, practically in hysterics by now.

"It's right here, Rory. It'll be okay."

"It'll be okay! It will be okay! No it will not be okay! My mother is going to freak!"

"What do you mean? You said your mom was cool."

"Yeah, she is cool, but she also got pregnant when she was sixteen. Guess how old I am! Guess how much she's going to flip out!"

Rory stood up and began running out of the studio. Several of the women stared at Tristan, wondering who he was. They watched him run after her, calling her Mary for some reason.

"I have to go!" Rory said to Tristan as he caught her arm and held her still for a moment.

"I'll go with you, I swear it's not the end of the world."

"You don't understand. My mom is like a father with a shotgun. You do NOT want to come anywhere near her."

"Well this was my fault, I suggested we go inside, so I'm coming with you. Whether you like it or not," Tristan told her.

Rory knew she didn't have time to argue, so she nodded and they took off running towards her house. She had no idea what awaited her there, but she had a feeling it was going to be worse than she thought.

--------------------

Rory and Tristan reached the front door and Rory could hear yelling from inside of the house, and her blood froze in her veins. Her grandmother was there. She pulled Tristan inside with her, and he heard the horrible argument along with her.

"She's doing the same thing you did," her grandmother screamed.

"No she's not," Lorelai replied, trying to keep her voice even.

"She's going to get pregnant."

"No she's not," Lorelai said through gritted teeth.

"She's gonna ruin everything just like you did!" Emily yelled at her daughter.

"No she's not! No she's not! No she's not! Rory is a good kid, Mom! She's not me," Lorelai finally screamed.

"What kind of mother are you to allow this to happen to her?"

"Oh, I don't know, Mom. What kind of mother were you?"

Tristan winced at the harsh words being spoken by Rory's grandmother. He had no idea that her family was capable of this. She always seemed so stable and he always pictured that she'd have the picture-perfect life. He felt closer to her, suddenly, because he now realized all the crap she had to put up with. It made sense though, her mother had gotten pregnant at sixteen, and ruined the Gilmore name. Now, Rory's grandmother blamed her mother, so everything was tense. It made perfect sense. He felt bad for Rory, though, and he could practically feel her hurt.

"You're going to lose her. You're going to lose her just like I lost you."

"I am not going to lose her. Do you hear me? Even if I hadn't gotten pregnant, you still would have lost me. I had nothing in that house. I had no life. I had no air. You strangled me. I do not strangle Rory."

"Oh you're so perfect and I was so horrible. I put you in good schools. I gave you the best of everything. I made sure you had the finest opportunities. And I am so tired of hearing about how you were suffocated and I was so controlling. Well if I was so controlling why couldn't I control you running around getting pregnant and throwing your life away?" Emily screamed, practically in tears.

"Get out!"

"What?"

"You will not come into my house and tell me I threw my life away. Look around, Mom. This is a life. It has a little color in it so it may look a little unfamiliar to you, but it's a life. And if I hadn't gotten pregnant I wouldn't have Rory," Lorelai said, with anger in her voice.

"You know that's not what I meant."

Rory bit back tears as she listened to them fighting about her. She always thought, on some level, that her mother resented her because she ruined all her plans. Even though her mom was countering that, the fact that her grandmother was saying she threw her life away by having her really hurt. She felt Tristan's hand on her shoulder, and sniffled a little.

"Maybe I was some horrible uncontrollable child like you say, but Rory isn't. She's smart and careful and I trust her and she's gonna be fine and if you can't accept that or believe it, then I don't want you in this house!"

Rory watched her grandmother slam the door behind her as she left, and motioned for Tristan to follow her. She crept into the kitchen and saw Lorelai washing the dishes with extreme vigor.

"Mom, thank you for saying all those-" Rory started, but was cut off.

"What were you thinking? Staying out all night! Are you insane?"

"I'm sorry. It was an accident," Rory said, quietly.

"Wait, who are you?" Lorelai asked the blonde teen standing behind her daughter.

"Oh, I'm Tristan DuGrey, ma'am. I drove your daughter home yesterday."

"What? Where's Dean?"

"We had an argument and I told him to leave the dance. Tristan gave me a ride home. We started talking and then we fell asleep. That was all."

"Oh my God! I can't believe you slept with him! Dean I could understand, maybe. But this is the boy you told me drove you crazy! Oh my God. I can't handle this."

Rory's face turned five different shades of red as both embarrassment and anger built up inside of her. Tristan had seen her have a meltdown before, and it wasn't pretty. He had a feeling he was about to get an encore presentation of it.

"Nothing happened!"

"Do you have any idea what it's like to wake up with my mother here and find out that you never came home?" Lorelai asked, with tears threatening to fall.

"So all this is about Grandma being here," Rory shouted.

"No, it's about the feeling of complete terror when your kid isn't in her bed in the morning."

"I'm sorry," Rory practically whispered.

She felt awful enough about staying out all night, but now her mother was taking it too far. Why didn't she believe her? Tristan stood there and watched this scene unfold as if someone had paralyzed him. He couldn't move from his spot as he watched the two scream at each other.

"And then it's about a whole different kind of terror when you find out that she spent the night with some guy," Lorelai continued.

"I didn't spend the night with him. We fell asleep!"

"You are going on the pill," Lorelai said with a couple of tears trickling down her cheeks.

"What?"

Tristan groaned inwardly and wished he could disappear. This is not a conversation he wanted to listen to. He felt a little uncomfortable listening to this, but there was no way in hell he was leaving Rory here. He wanted to say something, but Rory was right about her mother; she was scarier than a father with a shotgun!

"You're not getting pregnant."

"I did not have sex!"

"Dammit!" Lorelai swore.

"What happened to all that stuff you said to Grandma? What happened to trusting me? Where did all that go?"

"I think it's back on Patty's yoga mats. "

Rory's blood started to boil. She hadn't done anything wrong, and there was no way in hell she was taking this from her mother! Lorelai told her grandmother off just moments before, and now she was contradicting herself! It wasn't right, and she wasn't going to get away with it.

"This is crap! You know I didn't do anything. You know this is an accident. You're just mad because I screwed up and I did it in front of Grandma and she nailed you for it. Well I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I screwed up and I'm sorry that you got yelled at, but I didn't do anything and you know it!"

With that said, Rory spun around and ran out the front door, dragging Tristan behind her. She slammed the door behind her and began pulling Tristan back to Miss Patty's studio. He was in shock at the whole display he had witnessed, and wasn't sure how he should handle it.

"Whoa, Rory! Stop."

She spun on her heel, and he almost ran into her. She had tears streaming down her cheeks, and his heart almost broke for her. This had been a really bad day for her. He didn't say another word; he just wrapped his arms around her and held her as she cried.

"I h-hate th-this."

"I know you do. It'll get better," Tristan soothed.

"No it won't. You don't understand," Rory sobbed.

"Then make me understand."

Rory took his hand and they walked up to the Gazebo. The town was still mostly dead, so Rory didn't worry about anyone seeing them. Besides, she was sure news that she spent the night on yoga mats with some mystery boy was all over town since Miss Patty was the one that found them.

Rory took a deep breath and began. "Being the offspring of a teenage pregnancy means that all eyes are on you. You know the old saying 'like mother like daughter.' I've heard the gossip. God, even my own grandmother thinks I'm going to get pregnant."

"It doesn't matter what people say."

"Maybe not to you, but I hear them. They whisper the story of how my mother, the daughter of Richard and Emily Gilmore had the audacity to get pregnant in high school. Oh, and they really had a field day when they found out she worked as a maid in an inn. The only real friend I ever made was Lane."

"God, and then I came along and picked on you so much that you finally lost it. I'm sorry," Tristan told her, honestly.

"It's okay. It wasn't so much you as it was staying up all night for a week studying for that stupid test. But, that does raise an interesting question. Why were you so annoying? We've been together for quite a while, and you're acting like a normal human being would."

Tristan smiled, "I guess the reason I acted like such a jackass to you was because I really liked you. It drove me crazy when you kept turning me down. I just reverted back to what I did when I was little."

"Oh, you mean the whole 'pull a girls hair if you like her' thing?"

"Exactly."

"Well, thanks for staying. I don't know how I could have made it without you."

"Come on, you would have done just fine. I just stood there like a new wall. You're the one who did all the talking."

"Still. I'm glad you're here," Rory said, and leaned forward.

He met her halfway and Rory felt butterflies in her stomach as their lips met for the second time. If it was possible, she thought this kiss was even better than the first one! There was this raw passion buried under the kiss that made Rory's whole body tingle in a way she had never experienced. She wished the kiss would last forever, but eventually they pulled away.

"Hey, can we go somewhere?"

"Where?"

"I don't know, I just need to not be here for a couple of days."

Tristan's heart practically stopped when he heard her say 'a couple of days.' That meant that they would be together for 48 uninterrupted hours! He grinned and nodded, now he was the one dragging her to his car. As soon as they got in she looked over at him and bit her lip.

"What?" he asked her.

"Can I pick the music?"

**A/N:** Hello, I hope you enjoyed that! Like chapter 1, the quotes I used were found from 

Please review!!!


	3. No More Britney Spears!

**Disclaimer:** Gilmore Girls isn't mine, I tell you! Please don't stone me for making Rory sleep with Dean! It's not my fault! AHHHHHH!!!

**A/N:** Hallo! Okay, I've been getting some reviews asking about why Rory would run off with Tristan. Keep in mind that after she and her mother got in a fight, she escaped to her grandparent's house without a word to Lorelai. And, the reason the first two had so many quotes from the show was because it was still during the episode... this is the aftermath so no more quotes. The rest of the story is straight out of my demented head!!! Enjoy!

**Thanx:** To my beta, Katherine (rosie4299) I LOVE YA, GIRL!!! Y'all seriously need to read her stuff, it's wicked awesome!!! And of course to my reviewers. Without you I could not write. Many kisses to you all!

**Rating:** PG-13 (Remember, it will go up!!!)

**Chapter 3:** No More Britney Spears!

Rory began to pilfer through Tristan's CD's and was shocked to find how horrible his taste in music was. When she saw that he had a Britney Spears CD, Rory knew he was probably a lost cause.

"Oh my God!"

"What?" Tristan asked her.

"Your music is awful! Don't you have The Cure, or Clash, or Metallica?"

"Uh, no."

"Oh my God! And yet you have Britney Spears! Oh my God!"

"We have to go to the mall, and you are going to get all the CD's I tell you that you have to have. Then we're going to go somewhere, and burn the rest of them!"

"Hey, I happen to like my CDs!"

Rory sighed, "That's precisely the problem! If Lane saw this, she'd probably go into a coma!"

"Lane?"

"Oh, that's my best friend. She lives in Stars Hollow."

Tristan was about to say that he thought her mother was her best friend, but caught himself just before. Her mind was finally off of her mother, even though she was now making fun of his music, at least she wasn't crying or screaming anymore. He hated seeing girls cry. Tristan decided going to the mall would actually be a good idea, though, so he drove to Hartford.

"Tristan, where are we going?"

"Well, apparently I have the worst taste in music you've ever seen, so we're going to go to the mall. Plus, you'll need some clothes because I don't think mine will fit you."

"Oh, okay," Rory said and began flipping through his CDs again.

"You don't have a single Madonna CD! Oh my God!"

---------------------

Tristan pulled into a parking spot and they got out of the car and hurried into the mall. They received strange looks from the people in the store since they were still in their formals, but they didn't really care. The first stop they made was to The Gap to find Rory some clothes. She only needed a couple of shirts, some jeans, and a pair of tennis shoes, anyway. She insisted that she'd pay him back, but he said not to worry about it.

Tristan was hoping Rory would model her clothes for him, but being slightly shy, and a total Mary, she stayed in the dressing room. He was more than happy to get her the low-rise jeans, though. Tristan had only seen Rory out of her Chilton uniform once, and that was at the dance. He was definitely looking forward to seeing what she had under the plaid.

They left the store quickly and headed to a CD store that specialized in older music. Rory began rattling off names and bands, and before he knew it he had about fifteen CDs piled up. They were fairly cheap, though, since they were older.

"I'm hungry," Rory said to Tristan. "And I need coffee."

"Ah, of course. Why don't we stop at the food court and have breakfast," he said, and then glanced at his watch. "It's only 9 o'clock."

"That's right," Rory said with a yawn. "We've been up since 5:30. Wow, that's the earliest I've ever woken up in my entire life."

Tristan stared at her, like she was an alien. "You have got to be kidding me!"

"Nope, we're not big on waking up early at my house. On Christmas morning, we usually don't get presents unwrapped until ten."

"I can't believe that. Even when you were little?!"

"Yeah. Huh, I never realized how weird that was until now."

Tristan laughed and pulled her towards the food court. They sat down and began eating and eating and eating. Tristan was shocked at how much this girl could consume! He was even starting to get full, and she was busy pouring herself a cup of coffee. She downed that in about five minutes and then threw it away. Tristan had an idea and grinned while dragging Rory towards a store. He saw her cheeks already turning about four shades of pink when she saw what store it was. The awful part of it was that she knew she needed the items that were found in there.

"Come on Mary, you will need some clean undergarments," Tristan said with a smirk, while pulling her into Victoria Secret.

"B-but you're here," Rory said as her face turned an even deeper shade of pink.

Tristan loved it when she blushed, but decided to take pity on her. "If you want, I'll leave and then come back in a few minutes. Unless you want me to stay."

Rory rolled her eyes. "Give me 15 minutes."

"Then I bid you adieu and I'll see you then."

----------------------------

Tristan returned to the store after wondering around the mall. He had a bag behind his back, and he looked over to find Rory sitting on a bench with her pink and white Victoria Secret bag in her hand. Tristan grinned and strolled over to her.

"Hey, are you ready to go?" she asked him.

"Yeah, but first, I got you something."

"What? Tristan, you've bought me so much already," Rory started to protest.

He put a finger to her lips and she quickly shut her mouth. She decided that it was okay because he was wealthy, after all, and so he could buy anything and everything he wanted. It wasn't often she got to be pampered, and it was obvious that he wanted to do it. Her eyes widened when he pulled out a beautiful silver necklace with a blue sapphire dangling from it.

"Oh, it's beautiful. Thank you, Tristan."

She turned around and he slipped it onto her slender neck and closed the clasp. She could feel his hands against her neck and she let out an involuntary shiver. Tristan trailed his hands down her spine a little and then rested his hands on her waist. Turning her around he watched the sparkling gem shine against her creamy white skin. He knew the second he saw the necklace that it was the color of her eyes. He was right, and it made her eyes look even bluer, if that was possible.

"You're welcome," he whispered.

Then, he leaned forward and kissed her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and meshed his lips against hers. They pulled away far too soon in Rory's opinion, but then he wrapped his arms all the way around her and just held her for a second. This was definitely a side of Tristan she had never seen.

"So, we should probably go," Rory said, faintly.

"Yeah, probably."

They looked into each other's eyes and Rory got on her tip toes and brushed her lips against Tristan's, lightly. He got the message and took her hand in his and they left the mall. Back in his car, Rory flipped through his new CDs and found Weezer and popped it into the CD player.

"Now_ this _is good music!" she said with a laugh.

---------------------------

With only a couple more stops to get some toiletries for Rory, they arrived at the DuGrey mansion. Tristan and Rory got out of the car and carried all of Rory's new stuff into his house. There were a couple of maids bustling through the house, and Rory immediately felt like she was in her grandmother's house. Fancy things everywhere, and definitely not kid-friendly.

"Your parents won't mind me staying here, will they?"

"Oh, they probably won't even know that you're even here. My dad's out of town on "business," Tristan said using air quotes around business. "And my mother is oblivious to her surroundings."

Rory gave him a weak smile, and he grabbed the bags she was holding and took her upstairs. He opened a door and she knew in an instant that it was his room. It was the only part of the house that looked remotely like something she'd find in her own. There was clutter around his desk. Pictures of him with some of his friends. And there was even a bookshelf full of books. That definitely got her attention and she ran over towards it.

Tristan grinned as he watched her eyes light up as she searched through his books, looking for any that she wanted to read. She quickly found "Bless Me, Ultima" and pulled it out and began reading it.

"Okay, I guess since you're busy reading. I'll take a shower, first," he said, feeling as though he was talking to a wall.

"Yeah, sure."

Tristan grabbed some things walked into the bathroom that was joined to his bedroom. He quickly undressed and climbed into the shower. As soaped down, he thought about Rory sitting on the other side of the door. He didn't even think she heard that he was going to be in the shower. Tristan loved how wrapped up she got in her books. It was one of the things that intrigued him about her. He really wanted to know her story, the whole story about her. There were lots of rumors about her parents going around, and he wanted to know the truth. He decided that would take time, though.

Getting out of the shower, he dried off and wrapped a towel around his waist. Smirking to himself, he wondered how Rory would react to his half naked body. He opened the door and walked into his bedroom and walked right past Rory, who was still engrossed in the book.

"Hey, earth to Rory!"

"What?" Rory said, looking up.

Almost immediately, she looked back down. Tristan was in a towel standing in front of her! Water was still dripping down his chest. His muscular chest. No! No thinking about his muscular chest. And abs. Rory bit her lip and looked away from him as much as he could. Tristan had no idea she was _this_ shy, but he knew that she needed to get over this.

"Rory," he called as he slowly moved closer to her.

"Yeah."

"Look at me, or am I _that_ terrible of a sight?"

"Tristan!" Rory exclaimed while rolling her eyes. "I'm sure that's the problem!"

"Well if not, then what is it?"

"You're practically naked, and I'm not really comfortable with you in a towel."

"Well Mary. Why didn't you say so," Tristan said, and then dropped the towel.

Rory glanced over at him and her mouth dropped. She had never seen a naked man before... EVER! And here was Tristan DuGrey, standing in front of her in all his naked glory! Her eyes could not move from his form. Tristan started to laugh as he saw her shocked look.

"Stunned, Rory. Yeah, I've been known to have that effect."

Rory finally shifted her eyes from his body and stood up in a huff. Her face was not just pink, it was tomato red now! She ran into the bathroom and shut the door. Tristan thought she was upset with him, but then he heard the shower starting. He decided to be nice and get dressed. He did notice, however, that Rory had left all her clothes in his bedroom, which meant he'd get to see her come out in a towel! Oh, life was good.

------------------------

Rory stepped out of the shower feeling very refreshed. The past few hours had really taken a toll on her, and it felt good to wash that all away. She glanced at a mirror, and looked at her body for a moment. She wondered what Tristan would think if he saw her in this state. Would he laugh at her? She shook those thoughts from her head and looked around the room, realizing she had forgotten her clothes. She inwardly groaned.

Tristan anxiously awaited Rory's entrance, but he didn't want her to think it was a big deal, so he picked up a book and began to read it. His mind kept wandering though. He thought about how he wound up in here with Rory Gilmore stark naked in the next room. Tristan suppressed a grin when he heard the door crack open. He focused on his book and pretended that he wasn't even looking at Rory, even though he could see her peering through the crack of the door.

Rory, feeling confident that Tristan wasn't paying any attention to her, opened the door the rest of the way and stepped out into the cold room. She shivered and Tristan glanced at her wet form. He saw her blush again, and couldn't believe it, but she blushed over her whole body! It wasn't just her face.

"I thought it was only fair for me to see you in a towel, since you saw me. Now, if you wish to drop the towel that is entirely up to you," he smirked.

"Tristan, you really do have a one-track mind, don't you?"

Tristan just laughed as she grabbed all of her bags and went back into the bathroom to change. The rest of the day was bound to be interesting, for both of them. As Rory dressed, she wondered what they were going to do. Usually, she would just hang around with her mom or Lane on Saturday. Go to Luke's for coffee, and that was about it. She knew she was in for quite a ride today, though!

**A/N:** Hallo! If anyone wants to be a part of the Winter Fic Exchange, please visit my site and glance over the rules (the dates haven't been changed, yet, but you still have plenty of time!!!) Please review becuz it helps me become a better writer!


	4. Let’s Play Shock the Maid

**Disclaimer:** I wish I wish I wish for Gilmore Girls to be mine. But hey, it's just a wish! It's not mine. Never was. But someday it will be muahahahaha!!!

**A/N:** Hello there! Remember, if you want to be a part of the Trory Winter Fic Exchange, go to my site and all the information is on there. (My site is on my profile)!!!

**Thanks:** Katherine, my dear beta, thanx for ALL your help in getting this chapter out! She's a doll! Many kisses to her, and to my reviewers! Everyone who reads this story is required to go read at least one of Katherine's stories! The only problem is that after you read one, you're gonna read them all!!!! hehe ;)

**Rating:** PG-13 (Stay with me... I promise it will go up!)

**Chapter 4:** Let's Play Shock the Maid

Rory quickly finished getting dressed and walked out of the bathroom. She glanced around the empty bedroom and wondered where Tristan had gone. She shrugged to herself and picked up the book she had been reading and settled in to wait for his return. That's exactly how Tristan found her. She was sitting on his bed reading a book, now fully dressed except for her shoes. He smiled at her and put his hand over the page she was reading. Her head snapped up and her heart skipped a beat when she saw him smiling at her. He really was very good looking. _Well there's the understatement of the century_, she thought.

"I leave you alone for one minute, and you've already begun entertaining yourself."

Rory grinned, "I just can't help it. I feel drawn to books."

Tristan smiled at her and grabbed the book. Rory started thinking about how fast this all had happened. It didn't feel fast to her, though. Less than 24 hours ago, she didn't even talk to Tristan, but now she was on his bed. It seemed surreal to her, but somewhere in the back of her mind whenever she pictured herself with him, it was always a whirlwind beginning. Her favorite fantasy was where they were both broken up with their respective others, and they found themselves on a piano bench. Rory fantasized about having him kiss her right there on the bench, in the middle of the party.

She didn't know why she felt the need to dream about him, but she always had. Even though he was annoying, she still had a thing for him. Whenever he walked down the hall with his flavor of the week, she wanted to attack the girl and claw her eyes out. Rory tried to date Dean and get her mind off Tristan, but it was impossible. She couldn't be happier about how things had turned out, except that she was fighting with her mom.

Tristan watched her go from happy and grinning, to thoughtful, and then to sad. Sometimes, he wished he could get pulled into her head and listen to her thoughts. Then, he'd know exactly how she felt and what she wanted from him. He'd never had a serious girlfriend in his entire 16 years. It was just flings and casual sex. Nothing serious. No strings attached. It got lonely sometimes, but the second he saw Rory Gilmore he felt intrigued by her. That intrigue turned into a crush and that crush turned into a desire to know more and more about her. He still had a thirst for knowledge... knowledge about her!

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah. I just hate it when we fight."

"Oh, well I hate when we fight, too," Tristan teased, trying to lighten the situation.

He earned himself a smile, but she continued. "I meant my mom and me! God, I wish she'd just believe me! How could she think I would just go off and sleep with some random guy?"

"You wound me, Mary. I had no idea I was just some random guy to you."

"Haha. You know what I mean. We know each other, but not _that _well. And, she should know me better," Rory sighed.

"Well, she's probably just scared. She sees that you're growing up and needing her less and less. Now she thinks you took this big step and left her behind. Plus, she was probably terrified when you weren't there."

"Yeah, you're probably right, but I'm not ready to apologize to her... yet."

"Understandable, but you should probably call her just to let her know that you're okay."

"That's probably a good idea."

She picked up her cell phone to call her mother, and Tristan slipped off the bed and out of the room. He'd heard enough girl talk for the rest of the week; he knew what they were going to do today. Get to know each other. Rory said they didn't know each other that well, so they were going to take the rest of the day to talk and be together.

----------------------------

"Tristan," Rory called after she got off the phone.

"Hey, come downstairs!" Tristan yelled.

"But Tristan, I'm sleepy!"

"No way are you falling asleep! Get your pretty ass down here!"

"How do you know my ass is pretty?" Rory called back, then immediately regretted it.

"Well I would, Miss Gilmore, but _someone _wouldn't drop their towel! Now get down here."

Rory blushed and slowly made her way downstairs. Once she was there, she followed the sounds of things being open and closed, and then found herself in the kitchen. Tristan was busy making snack foods for her. She grinned and picked up a bite-sized-pizza.

"I thought you would be hungry. So, how did it go with your mom?"

"Oh, the shoulder she gave me was so cold, I'm freezing even here."

"That bad?"

"No, it wasn't bad. It was very formal. She actually reminded me of my grandmother. Never tell her I said that, though, because she isn't Emily's biggest fan."

"So, what's the deal with that?"

"Well, my mom was very rebellious as a teenager, hence my existence. When she got pregnant, it was this huge thing. My grandfather said that she had to marry my dad, and my dad said okay, but my mother refused. She had me, and then a year later she left Hartford. She left my grandparents a note saying she couldn't handle living there anymore and moved to Stars Hollow."

"Whoa. But what did she do, take their money or something?"

"No. She got a job at the Independence Inn and worked as a maid," Rory didn't like saying the next part of the story, but she decided that if they were going to have any kind of future he'd have to know. "We lived in a tool shed for a couple of years, until my mom got enough money to rent a house."

Tristan was speechless. He always assumed Rory had come from money, so she grown up with money. He thought it was weird that she lived in a normal house, but he had no idea what she had been through. He figured it would be his turn next, but right now he wanted to find out the rest of the story.

"So, what happened with your mom and grandparents?"

"Well, Mom called them sometimes, and we saw each other on holidays and stuff. Not very much contact at all."

"Well, what about now? Why was your grandmother there?"

"Chilton cost too much money for my mom, so she asked my grandparents to help out. The condition for that is Friday night dinners, indefinitely."

"And your dad? Where is he?"

"Uh, California right now. I saw him at Christmas and he was doing well. I don't get to see him much, though."

"Wow, and I thought my family was weird."

"What about your family?"

"Well, let's see. My dad is a senior partner in his law firm. He's been cheating on my mom for at least ten years, probably longer. My mother is completely oblivious because she's always too drunk to realize that he's been screwing his secretary."

"Oh my God."

"Yeah, I know. I'm not close to my parents at all, but my grandfather is great. We talk all the time, and he's really cool."

"My grandpa knows him, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, that's what he said at your birthday party, anyway."

Rory groaned, "I was trying to suppress that awful night from my memory."

"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad," Tristan said, trying to comfort her.

"Oh yes it was! My grandmother invited our entire class, and I didn't know half the people there!"

"Okay, it was pretty bad," Tristan finally agreed.

Rory smacked him on the arm, and he laughed even harder. Tristan watched as Rory took her plate to the sink and began washing it. He could tell it was just instinct for her to do that by the way she just kept talking as she did it. The fact that she was washing the dishes showed how special she really was. There were maids on every floor, but she didn't even think about it. He decided to help her out and started to smile.

"What are you grinning about?" Rory asked him.

"You."

"Why?"

"Because you're washing the dishes."

"So?"

"So, we have five maids in this house!"

"Oh! I'm sorry, it's just a habit."

"No, I think it's cute."

Rory smiled and took another plate and began to wash it, as well. He thought she was cute. Right now she was on cloud nine as she finished cleaning the kitchen. In the background, a maid stared at them with her mouth dropped. Tristan DuGrey was actually washing the dishes. Whoever this girl was, she was definitely having some sort of effect on him. She hoped that girl would hang around for a while.

--------------------------------------

Some time later, the two of them sat in Tristan's car. He didn't know how it happened, but somehow the topic of movies came up and she somehow found out that he had never seen 'Pippi Longstocking,' so they were now on their way to the video store to get it. This girl never quit! She was adamant about molding him to like her music and her movies. He guessed it was her mother's influence, but there was no way in hell he would ever tell her that.

"Okay, so you have seen 'Hardbody,' right?"

"If I say yes, will you believe me?" Tristan asked her.

"Uh, no!" Rory exclaimed as she grabbed the movie off the shelf.

After 45 minutes, they were back in the car with a stack of the 'essential' movies that he had to see. The titles he could remember were '16 Candles,' and 'Bed of Roses.' He could tell 'Bed of Roses' was a very girlie movie, just by the title. As long as Rory was with him, he could sit through any movie. At least, he hoped he could.

"Wait, do you have any junk food?"

"What do you mean by junk food?"

"Oh you know, popcorn, twizlers, skittles, those little sugary gum drops..."

"Uh, no. Why?"

Rory sighed, "You, my friend, are an amateur movie watcher. Those items are a must have."

Tristan was smiling to himself as Rory ran through the candy aisle at a grocery store and loaded their basket with candy. Some of them, he hadn't even heard of! He had no idea how she stayed this thin. He watched her already eat a huge breakfast and a big lunch. Now, she was loading them with candy. Something told him that she did this all the time.

"Okay now, we're set!" Rory said as they drove back to his house.

Once they went inside, they both rummaged through cabinets and filled them with tons of candy. Some of them had candy, some had popcorn, and some had a mix of stuff. Rory then told him that they had to get into their pajamas to really get into the mode. After she said it, she realized that she didn't even have any pajamas! Tristan realized this, too, and decided it was time for him to take charge.

"Okay, you can wear some of mine. They may not fit you, though."

"Oh, uh, okay," Rory stammered as she followed him upstairs.

They each had their arms full of candy and movies. Tristan led her into his media room, and they set everything up. Then, they went into his room and Tristan pulled out a pair of boxers for her, and a T-shirt. She blushed lightly and took them, saying a quick thanks and then disappearing into the bathroom. She got undressed and quickly put the clothing on. The boxers were pretty big on her, so she held them up with one hand and walked out of the bathroom. Tristan was already in his boxers and "wife beater." Rory's breath caught in her throat when she saw him.

His strong arms that were usually hidden by the Chilton jackets, were very tanned and very cut. Her eyes scanned down the shirt that hugged his torso like a second skin. She could see his nipples through his shirt and for a split second she wished he wasn't wearing anything. She could make out every hill of his abs all the way down to his boxer line. Her breath got more labored when she glanced down even lower. The bulge enticed her and gave her memories of the morning when he dropped his towel and showed her... well, pretty much everything. She had memorized that certain part of his anatomy the second she saw it. All she wanted was a closer view.

Tristan could tell she was checking him out, and that was definitely a turn on for him. He stood still and let her get her fill before taking a step towards her. He saw her jump when he moved, but her eyes didn't leave his body. He slowly walked closer towards her, and before she knew it his arms had wrapped around her waist and pulled her towards him for a delicious kiss. Her pants forgotten, she snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, until he was flushed against her. As his tongue licked and sucked every part of her mouth, she felt something peculiar happen. Her nipples seemed to tighten, as if it were cold in the room, but she felt hotter than she ever had.

Tristan felt her rubbing her chest against him and moaning into his mouth. That surprised him more than anything! Rory was getting turned on! She was getting horny kissing him. Tristan knew she was a virgin. He could tell by the way she reacted to certain things he did, but his body was aching to be touched. His mind overruled his body, though, and he pulled away from her. Rory's head was still foggy, but she looked into his eyes and smiled. Tristan's eyes gazed over her form, and she let out a shiver.

"Uh, Mary. I think you lost something."

"What?" she asked him quietly.

"Your pants."

**A/N:** I hope you all liked this chapter! I wanted to really give some history about the two of them, so they could really get to know each other. I'm loving the reviews, please keep them coming!!!


	5. Hysteria and Pillow Fights

**Disclaimer:** Gilmore Girls belongs to ASP, not me. I wish she would have asked all of us what we thought about it, but whatever. I'm not bitter. Well actually I am, but I'll get over it.

**Thanx:** Thank you, thank you, thank you Katherine (rosie4299) you're wonderful and a doll! If you haven't yet, go read her stories! They're amazing! And a special thanks to my reviewers! Y'all rock!!! I'm almost to 100, and I'm only on chapter 4!!!

**Rating:** PG-13 (You don't want me to rush it, do you? Wait, that's a rhetorical question ;)

**Chapter 5:** Hysteria and Pillow Fights

Rory froze for a second and Tristan glanced at her lacy pink panties. He had expected white, but pink definitely worked for her. After Rory's brain freeze, she scrambled to pull them back up. By the time she faced Tristan again, her face was pinker than her underwear! He grinned and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the media room. He had made some definite progress and there was no way she was slinking back to shy Chilton Rory.

He held out the movies, and she grabbed 'Pippi Longstocking' and put it in. He watched the beginning of what he guessed to be a very corny movie start. She began to sing along to the song, and by the end of it he was laughing harder than he ever had before. Rory scowled at him and threw a pillow at his head. He still laughed, so she chose to ignore him. They continued to watch the movie, and he made fun of it despite Rory's warnings. By the time the tightrope scene came on, he was practically in tears.

"This is not funny Tristan! Her monkey could have died!"

"This is too much!" he told her, as he gasped for air.

Rory threw another pillow at him, but this time he wasn't letting her get away with it. He picked up the pillow and threw it back at her. Surprised, she stared at him, but soon recovered at threw the pillow back at him. Soon, they were in a pillow-throwing match, and Tristan was kicking Rory's ass. Finally, they were both exhausted, so they called a truce.

"You are horrible at throwing."

"Hey, it's not my fault I'm athletically challenged."

Tristan's laughing started up all over again, but Rory chose to roll her eyes and ignore it. Secretly, she loved the way he laughed. It was deep and his voice was rich as the sounds escaped his throat. She loved hearing it, but not when it was directed at a great movie. Rory turned her attention back to the screen just in time to see the end. She glared at her... well whatever Tristan was to her. He shot her an innocent look back and suppressed a smirk. She could tell he was trying hard not to laugh, so she decided to make it hard for him.

"You know, one time when I was about 6, I watched this movie about five times. I then decided that since Pippi could walk up a building with the special glue, then so could I."

Tristan listened to her story, and instinctively knew she was trying to do something. He played dumb, though, and listened intently while keeping his grinning to a minimum.

"So, I went into my mom's room and found some of that rubber cement glue. I put the glue on the bottom of my feet and put one foot on our house. The other foot was still on the cement because since I didn't want it to stick, then I knew it wouldn't."

Tristan was about to bust out laughing as he pictured Rory trying to walk up a house. He loved hearing stories about Rory, and that was a feeling he had never gotten with any other girl. It was like he needed to know everything about her. Now, he really needed to hear the end of this story.

"Okay, so I pulled my foot that was on the ground, but nothing happened. So I tried again, but my stubborn foot stayed stuck to the ground. I was there for fifteen minutes trying to will my foot off of the driveway. I then had the bright idea to glue my foot to my shoes. Luckily, my mother found me just as I was about to slip my foot out of my sandals."

"So what happened to the shoes?"

"Oh, they're still there. Since the driveway was in the back of the house, and my foot was on the edge of it she just planted a bush in front of it. I went to see if they were still there a couple of years ago, and sure enough they were still stuck."

Tristan couldn't contain his laughter any longer. He was lying on the floor in hysterics, which gave Rory a nice view of his, ahem, member. Rory's eyes got huge when she realized that he was somewhat aroused. She had never seen that before on any man, and it shocked her. Rory thought that she should feel more uncomfortable, but she didn't. Actually, she felt strangely enticed by the sight. He was in that... that state because of her! That knowledge made Rory feel powerful.

Tristan grinned and sat up when he noticed a funny look on Rory's face. She looked amused by something, and then he realized what it was when he caught her sneaking another glance. Being around a beautiful girl all day long... when she was wearing his clothes... well, it was enough to affect any man with eyes. He was surprised that she was grinning instead of blushing. Well, her cheeks were slightly pink, but this made him see Rory the way he hoped she could be. Subconsciously sexual.

"You think this is funny?" he asked her, looking down at the slight bulge.

Rory shrugged her shoulders, but the grin remained plastered on her face. He leaned forward and met her lips with his own. She quickly responded to the kiss, and was really surprised at the lack of embarrassment she was feeling! This was very out of character for her usual reserved nature, but Rory wasn't going to let thoughts about what she should be doing and feeling ruin this perfect moment.

Tristan couldn't believe this was actually happening! Rory saw his err... excitement, but she wasn't running. In fact, she was now kissing him with quite a lot of fervor. Tristan felt her tongue sweeping through his mouth. Their first kiss had been slightly tamer, but right now Rory wasn't showing any signs of wanting this to end any time soon. Actually, she moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around him. She pressed her breasts against his chest, and sighed in content. It felt good to have some friction against her nipples.

Sure Lorelai and Rory had had several sex talks, but that was focused more towards "always use a condom." Rory really didn't know much about sex except for the technical parts. She heard a lot about masturbation, but she could never bring herself to do it. Sometimes it was almost painful to ignore the feelings she got when she watched movies that showed a sex scene. Right now, she was experiencing a burning between her legs that needed attention immediately. She had never felt as aroused as she did kissing Tristan.

Tristan had snaked his arms around her waist. One, he rested on the small of her back, but the other one skimmed upwards and tangled in her hair. Rory could feel his strong back muscles underneath her hands, since his shirt was so thin. His back was solid as a rock, and she suspected he spent a lot of time at the gym. Just thinking about Tristan shirtless and covered in sweat made her squirm.

Pulling away from her mouth slightly, Tristan licked her lips. There was something erotic about feeling Tristan's tongue traveling down her neck. She felt her shirt being tugged upwards, and started to feel her body giving in to what it craved. Her mind was silenced by her horniness, and she let his hands slip under her shirt and cup her braless breasts. Rory's breath stopped as Tristan's hand skimmed over her already tightened buds.

Rory couldn't breathe as he tweaked her nipples. She'd never gone this far before, but the voice screaming that they barely knew each other was pushed away by what her body wanted... no, craved. Her nipples begged for Tristan to roll, pinch and touch them. While Tristan's hands were busy driving Rory crazy, his tongue had slid back up to her mouth. He sucked her tongue into his mouth and slurped on it. At the same time he pulled on her nipple a little harder.

"Oooohhhh!!!" Rory moaned.

Tristan's semi-hard penis turned into a rock when he heard Rory respond to him like that. He wanted to look at her tits, though. The only problem was that he had a feeling she would freak out if he tried to take her shirt off. Rory's mind swam as she felt her panties go from being damp to soaked as Tristan continued his ministrations on the tips of her breasts. Tristan began to slide her shirt up when he felt Rory gripping his back with her fingernails. The slight pain was enough to bump the whole thing up a level.

The sweet kiss had now turned into a full-fledged open mouthed, French kiss. The two of them were locked in a sweaty embrace, and Tristan was teasing her mercilessly. She groaned and squirmed as she dug her nails into his back a little. The sensation she was experiencing between her legs was something she had only dreamed about! It felt like an agonizing fire was being lit inside of her, and she felt her entire body tremble as Tristan began easing her shirt up and over her head.

The second the shirt left her body, her mind screamed to stop him. The only problem with that was the fact that his tongue had somehow left her mouth and was now licking the area surrounding her nipple. Rory felt like she was climbing towards something. Something indescribable, but she knew it would feel good. She didn't know how she knew, but it was like an instinct.

Tristan felt her arch her back, and decided to stop teasing her. He began suckling on her tit, and her moaning really let him know how sensitive the area was. He then realized that he had been right. Rory would be a screamer in bed! The quiet ones usually were, though. She was panting and moaning his name as he traded back and forth between her breasts. He increased the pressure and she let out a howl. Her entire body was shaking uncontrollably, and he loved the affect he was having on her.

As Rory tumbled further and further away from self-control, something brought her back. A ringing noise began to get insistent and it was driving her crazy. The noise got louder and louder, and that caused her to begin to realize what was happening. Her shirt was on the ground. Tristan was not only seeing her breasts, but also ravishing them! Rory began to panic, and Tristan sensed the change. He pulled away from her now wet and flushed chest and looked into her eyes. That's when he heard the ringing, too.

"I'll be right back," he told her in a hoarse whisper.

He answered the phone and talked to one of his dad's clients, informing a very upset man that his father was out of town on "business." Tristan knew good and well that his father was screwing his secretary and not on some business trip. Since he couldn't stand either of his parents, he refused to cover up for his father and he wouldn't tell his mother what was really going on. It was a good system.

By the time he returned to the media room, Rory's top was back on. Her head was staring down at her hands, which were folded in her lap. He crouched in front of her and kissed her softly. This kiss didn't heat up to near the intensity it had been moments before. Tristan mainly did it to show her that it was okay.

Rory could not believe what was happening! She felt like she was in the middle of some insane dream. A dream where first, she doesn't really care that Tristan saw her in her panties, then she actually let him take her shirt off and... and.... she couldn't even say what she let him do! At this moment, though, she didn't care. All she knew was that whatever he did felt good! Really, _really _good! Tristan pulled away from her lips and looked into her big eyes.

"What are you doing to me?" she asked him, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Oh, I'm seducing you," he joked.

"Huh. I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be alone with Tristan DuGrey. In his house. And wanting him to do things to me that no one has ever done."

Tristan was shocked at the last part! Sure he assumed she was a virgin, but now she was blatantly telling him that she wanted him to screw her. That wasn't going to happen, though, because she was different. She had never had sex before, and Rory was too special for a one-night stand. If they had sex this weekend, seeing each other at school would be hell. Rory would hate him, because he knew that this was a big deal to a girl (at least the first time). He just didn't want Rory to hate him.

"Well, we can do some stuff, but Rory, we can't have sex."

Now it was Rory's turn to be shocked! He wasn't going to push to sleep with her, even though his "score card" was legendary by now. Tristan's experience in the field of sex did intimidate Rory on some levels. She had never even orgasmed before, but she desperately wanted to have sex. She thought it was probably just her teenage hormones talking, but at that particular moment, she didn't really care!

"What do you mean? Why not?"

Tristan took a deep breath. "Because I don't want you to hate me tomorrow."

"Hate you? Why would I hate you?" Rory asked him.

Tristan ran his fingers through his hair. Rory knew it was a nervous habit he had, so she just sat there and waited for his answer. She couldn't understand why she would hate someone who would make her feel alive.

"You'd hate me because you don't love me. You'd hate me because it wouldn't feel special to you. Trust me, I wish I could go back and make my first time different," Tristan told her with a slight amount of difficulty.

"What happened?" Rory asked him, not sure if she really truly wanted to know.

"Well..." Tristan started. "I was fourteen, and I was on a date with this girl named Skylar. She was sixteen and let's just say _very _experienced. Uh, we went out on a couple of dates and we had sex. I fell in love with her after that, but what I didn't know was that she was screwing every guy on the football team behind my back."

Rory looked at Tristan in a new light. He had actually been in love! She always saw him as a 'player.' Now, she felt sorry for him and was definitely changing her mind about having sex with him. Even though he was great, she knew she wasn't in love with him and she would regret it.

"I found out, eventually, and confronted her about it. She said some things, and that was it. She was gone, and I vowed never to fall in love again. Well, I didn't. I dated tons of girls. Half the time I didn't even know their names."

Rory sighed. "You're right. I'm just so tired of being expected not to screw up. It's like I'm being punished because my mother got pregnant. It's not fair. I just want to be looked at as Rory Gilmore. Not as Lorelai's clone."

"I know how you feel. It's like everyone takes on look at me and I'm all of a sudden a spoiled rich kid who has had everything given to him on a silver platter. I suppose that's true to some extent, but my life isn't as great as it may seem."

The two teens felt connected somehow. Although they both came from very different backgrounds, they were both judged by everyone. Tristan and Rory hated it, but it was something that neither one of them could stop. They sighed and leaned their heads together.

"So, what are we?" Rory asked Tristan after a moment.

"Well, I'd like to be your boyfriend."

"Well, I'd like to be your girlfriend."

They looked at each other with goofy grins, and Tristan watched Rory's eyes get huge as she jumped up and ran downstairs. He chased after her and watched as she grabbed the phone and a telephone book and began flipping through.

"Okay, is Chinese okay with you?"

"Uh, I guess."

"Great!"

Rory dialed the phone and waited for a second. Tristan had no idea how she was going to order without a menu, but he decided to sit back and watch. He already told her that he was going to pay for everything. It's not like he worked for the money, anyways. He could care less how much they spent.

"Uh hi! Um, you see I don't have a menu, so I'm just going to ask you if you have stuff. Is that okay.... uh huh. Alright let's see..."

Rory began to rattle off names of Chinese food and then ordered. Tristan stared at her as she ordered at least four different major dishes, and then she also got sizzling rice soup and six egg rolls. He just stared at her in shock as she finished and hung up.

"So, who's coming over to eat all that food?"

"What do you mean? This is the best way to eat any form of take out!"

"And what way is that?"

"You see, you order tons of different food, and then you can just eat a little of everything. What's good about ordering a lot is that you can put it in the refrigerator and eat off of it for days."

Tristan stared at her like she had just grown two heads. He rarely got take out, and if he did anything left was promptly thrown away. He had a feeling this was going to be an interesting weekend. There was going to be lots of new things to try, and new experiences to have. This was going to be great!

**A/N:** Haha! Chapter 5 is finished for you all, my lovelies! Please review!!!


	6. Heartbeats and a Fantasy

**Disclaimer:** I just take the show and twist it for my own personal amusement. It doesn't actually belong to me.

**A/N:** Hey guys! Sry it took me soooo long to update this. School has been kicking my ass lately! OMG, these teachers are slave-drivers. I don't know how long it will be until the next chapter comes out, but I'll try!

**Thanx:** To my beta, Katherine (rosie 4299) she helps me get the inspiration I need to write! Thanks, dear! Remember to read her stories (especially Kiss Me At Midnight which is dedicated to me lol ;) And of course to my loyal reviewers ;) y'all are amazing!

**Rating:** R (_This_ is where the R stuff starts!)

**Chapter 6:** Heartbeats and a Fantasy

The two of them sat down on the kitchen floor for a 'traditional' Chinese meal. Rory made an unsuccessful attempt to grab a piece of orange chicken with her chopsticks, so she tried again. That slippery piece of chicken somehow managed to avoid her chopsticks, so she finally just stabbed it. Tristan busted out laughing as he expertly used his utensils.

"Hey, it's not my fault I was never properly taught to use them!"

"Don't feel bad. My father has several clients that are from China, so I've gotten good at using them," Tristan chuckled.

Again, Rory sighed at hearing the deep sultry laugh leave his mouth. It was just... lovely and made her heart melt every time she heard it. By the time they were both full, over half of the food they had ordered was gone. Tristan was stunned to see how much Rory could eat. Here she was, a very skinny girl and she probably ate more than he did! If she didn't beat him, they at least tied. Tristan stood up, but Rory didn't join him.

"Ooooh," she groaned. "I'm too full to move."

Tristan laughed as she sprawled out on the floor and put her hand on her stomach. He rolled his eyes at her antics and proceeded to stare at her. She looked so cute in his clothes. His boxers were sagging, slightly, which gave him a peek at the top band of her lacy pink panties. His mouth went dry as he looked at the incredibly sexy young woman that probably didn't even know how desirable she really was. That made him want her even more.

"Okay, I'm better now," Rory said, sitting up and grinning at her boyfriend. "Leftover Chinese food is great. The flavor sinks in over night and makes it taste even better than the first day."

Rory began to grab the food and put it away as she spoke. When everything was put away, she grabbed his hand and began to pull him up the stairs. He figured she wanted to watch some more movies, so he didn't resist her tugging his sleeve. As soon as they got back to the media room, Rory grabbed 'Bed of Roses' and put it into the DVD player. Soon it began to play, and Tristan was surprised that he actually liked it. Sure it wasn't his usual type of movie, but it was actually pretty good.

He loved to watch Rory, though. She sat on the floor and watched with extreme interest. He knew she had probably seen this movie a countless amount of times, but it looked like she still didn't know how it was going to end. When they broke up,Rory looked so sad that Tristan had to restrain himself from kissing her. A silly grin came on her face just as the credits began to roll.

"I love that movie," Rory sighed.

"Yeah, it was okay, but the best part was watching you."

Rory turned a slight shade of pink and Tristan grinned, leaning forward to kiss her. It was a gentle kiss that only lasted for a moment. As they pulled away, Rory yawned.

"Was the kiss that boring?" Tristan teased.

"No, I'm just sleepy," Rory replied with another yawn.

They decided to turn in early since they had woken up so early in the morning. Rory wanted to use Tristan's bathroom since her stuff was already in it, so they both brushed their teeth beside each other at the double vanity. Rory felt a little strange getting ready for bed with a guy glancing at her every couple of minutes. Well, not just any guy... he was her boyfriend.

She guessed the reason it felt weird was probably because she'd never lived with a man of any kind. Rory was used to being with her mother, only. That's the way it had always been. She missed her mom, but the words that Lorelai had spoken to her so harshly that morning still stung. When Tristan and Rory were both ready for bed, they gave each other a goodnight kiss and Rory walked into the room that joined Tristan's. She climbed into the large queen-sized bed and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

At about three in the morning, Rory was awakened by a loud crash outside. She sat straight up in bed and listened, but she didn't hear anything. Telling herself it was all in her dreams, Rory settled back down into the strange bed and closed her eyes. No sooner had her eyelids fluttered shut, did the noise return. This time it was louder. Rory now was sure the sound was not her imagination and she felt a little scared. She berated herself for acting like a little girl, and made a promise that she wouldn't wake Tristan up. Just as she decided to try to go back to sleep, she heard a crack of thunder and rain began to pour from the sky. The night just kept getting better.

Tristan woke in the middle of the night with a start. He inwardly groaned when he realized that the noise he heard was the garage door. It had been broken a couple of days before, and no one had been by to fix it, yet. Wait... the garage door! That meant someone had to be home. Tristan listened, and heard the footsteps of his father echoing through the mansion. That was one thing about living in a cold, big house. You could hear anything and everything. On a few occasions, he really wished he couldn't.

Rory was sitting straight up in bed. Someone was in the house! A maid? No, Tristan didn't have any live-in maids. His parents? Well, they're out of town... separately. A burglar? That had to be it! This was a very expensive home. If someone knew that there weren't any adults here, well then they could break in. All right, that did it. Rory was going into Tristan's room. There was no way in hell she was going to get murdered by some idiotic burglar.

"Tristan!" Rory hissed as she entered his room.

"Yeah?" he asked.

His answer startled her because she didn't realize that he was even awake. Well that, and the fact that she could still hear the steps of the intruder below. She snuck up to Tristan's bed and looked into his eyes. When Rory got close enough for him to see her form clearly, he saw fear in her startling blue eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"I heard a noise, and then I heard it again. I tried to ignore it, but I hear someone downstairs! Tristan, I think there's a burglar."

"Well if it is, that burglar has expensive taste. Those shoes are Italian leather."

"What? How could you possibly know that?"

"Because I've woken up to hearing my father get in a thousand times. Trust me, those shoes are Italian leather. And they belong to Parker DuGrey."

He could see relief in his girlfriend's eyes, but she still looked a little uneasy. He scooted over, and Rory climbed into his bed with him. It made her heart jump to be this close to him, but she had really been scared. She could feel his breath on her ear, and she snuggled closer to his warm body. Rory put her head on his chest and listened to his heart beating. There was something about just feeling it thumping in his chest that made her more at ease.

Tristan felt her sigh in contempt and began stroking her hair. It was so soft and silky. He ran his fingers through it easily and loved how long it was. He smirked when she snuggled closer to him, squeezing his torso a little harder. This was what he had been waiting for, from the first day when he approached her and called her Mary. No matter what happened, she'd always be his Mary.

"This is nice," Rory sighed into his chest.

"What is?" Tristan asked her, even though he knew exactly what she meant.

"You know. This. Being here with you. Listening to you heart beating, just looking at you. It's nice."

Tristan's boxers immediately restricted as he looked down at this angelic beauty. His mind went on autopilot as he leaned forward and kissed her.

_Tristan desperately tried to get the passion level back up to what it had been earlier in the evening. The footsteps had long since faded, leaving just the sounds of their clothes being removed from their bodies. Tristan found Rory's chest again and picked up their game right where he had left off. He suckled on her nipples until Rory gasped for air at the sensations he was evoking in her._

_While his tongue swirled around her twin peaks, his hands slid down her milky white stomach to his boxers, which were already halfway down. He eased them the rest of the way off and teased the crotch of her panties. Tristan felt her start to squirm as he rubbed the layer separating his fingers from her vaginal lips. _

_He heard her gasp for air when he hit her clitoris. It was already becoming engorged, and he loved the effect he was having on her. He wanted nothing more than to drive his penis into her and make her scream his name. Tristan knew better, though, so instead he waited until her undies were soaked through. When they were wet enough, he stopped rubbing her, and moved his hands back up to her breasts. He loved hearing her moaning for him to continue what he had previously been doing._

_Rory squirmed to help him when he finally pulled her adorable pink, lacey panties down. Her legs instinctively parted to allow his busy fingers to touch her without any barriers. He stroked her lips, and she panted his name. When Tristan finally reached her clit, she screamed out loud. He continued to massage her intimate area, until he felt her start to tremble. Realizing she was more than ready, he stuck his middle finger into her slippery wetness. She let out a half sigh, and half moan. When Tristan began to move his finger inside of her, he listened to the noises she was making and watched as her hips began to learn what to do. _

_He hit her G spot over and over again. Sometimes on the in stroke, and sometimes on the out stroke. Finally he put almost constant pressure there. He could tell Rory was so close to an orgasm that she could practically taste it. Finally, Tristan inserted his index finger inside of her, too, and Rory's orgasm tore through her body. She writhed and moaned enough to make Tristan almost cum..._

"Tristan!" Rory hissed for the fourth time, and finally knocked him out of his thoughts.

"Huh, what? Yeah," he stuttered, and tried to calm his racing heart down. Well, that wasn't the only thing he needed to calm down.

"You were spaced out," Rory told him.

"Oh, I guess I was for a minute there."

"What were you thinking about?" she asked him, innocently.

_Fingering you until you couldn't remember anything but my name, _Tristan thought.

"Uh, things we can do tomorrow."

"Oh, okay," Rory said with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Honestly, she thought he had been thinking about her. She didn't dwell on it, though. Instead, she leaned her head against his chest and listened to his heart. She was confused as to why it was beating so fast, but she didn't think much about it as sleep overtook her. While she drifted off to sleep, Tristan was left in quite a conundrum. He desperately needed some release, but if he got up to jerk himself off, he would wake Rory up and then she'd know what he was doing. The night was definitely going to be a long one!

An hour after Rory fell asleep, Tristan was still awake and having a terrible time focusing on anything else beside his... condition. It was impossible to calm himself down, because here he had a gorgeous woman in his bed touching his body. He just about died when her hand moved over his member while she was still asleep. Finally, Tristan thanked whatever higher power allowed Rory to roll off of him and curl up on the other side of the bed. Tristan took the opportunity and snuck into his bathroom. Quietly, he shut and locked the bathroom door behind him and pulled his boxers down. Closing his eyes, he tried to get back into his previous thoughts...

_Rory's orgasm had finally subsided, so Tristan was on top of her body kissing her all over her face, neck, and chest. He loved being on top of her, feeling her skin against his skin. It was erotic. His penis was throbbing, and he could hardly wait another second to be inside of her. He slowly parted her legs with his hand and pressed his hardness against her soft core. She shook her head, no, though. Tristan quickly pulled away and looked into her eyes. _

_Grinning, Rory rolled Tristan over next to her, and pulled the sheet and blankets off of them. She looked at his dick for a long time, then she reached her hand out and touched him lightly. She circled the head of his penis and then dipped down to the shaft. She slowly teased him, and Tristan moaned her name as she began to grab hold of him. _

He was beginning to break a sweat as his imagination let him feel Rory's hand on him. In reality, it was his own hand, but he couldn't help but pretend it was actually hers. He stifled a groan as he came, and sighed as his penis finally relaxed. He cleaned himself off as quietly as he could and then returned to bed. Tristan climbed into the bed next to Rory and closed his eyes.

On the other side of the bed, Rory stared at the wall with her eyes wide open. She wasn't exactly sure what had just happened, but she heard Tristan in the bathroom panting and moaning her name. Rory knew sleep was out the window for her, now.

**A/N:** Okay, there you have it! I'm thinking about skipping ahead to Monday in the next chapter. Tell me if you'd rather me continue with the next morning. Please review!


	7. Tears Follow Firsts

**Disclaimer:** Gilmore Girls isn't mine, nor was it ever, and whoever started that crazy rumor is a liar!

**A/N:** I'M SOOOOO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG! Luckily, school is pretty much finished kicking my ass, which means LOTS more time to write!

**Thanx:** To my beta, Katherine and all my loyal readers who put up with LONG waits between updates!

**Rated:** NC-17

**Chapter 7:**Tears Follow Firsts 

Somehow, Rory had finally managed to fall asleep, even though the fact that Tristan had done . . . _that _while thinking about her was the only thing she could think about. When she woke up the next morning, she smelled pancakes. The scent of the divine breakfast seemed to lift her head off of her pillow and lead her towards the kitchen. She noticed Tristan wasn't in bed, and she wondered what he was up to. As she hurried down the stairs, the smell became stronger and stronger. Her stomach felt like it would cave in on her in a second if she didn't get food.

Rory's mouth almost fell open, and she had to stifle a laugh as she watched Tristan flipping pancakes, while listening to some terrible music. He was in his boxers and a wife beater. When he began singing into the spatula, she couldn't hold her giggles back any longer, and Tristan turned around to watch the girl of his dreams snickering at him.

"You think this is funny?" he asked her.

"Uh, yeah!" she said as she broke into hysterics once more.

With that, Tristan put down his spatula and ran towards Rory. She shrieked and dodged his grasp centimeters before he could get her. Tristan chased her through the house before Rory's aversion to exercise finally caught up to her and she began to get tired. He caught up to her and lifted her off the ground at the same time her arms flailed and hit him in the perfect spot to knock the wind out of him. He toppled over, and somehow managed to fall on top of Rory. Had anyone walked in on them, they would have been in a very awkward situation.

Tristan blew a strand of Rory's long brown hair out of her eyes, and didn't even try to get up. She smiled at him, and felt his lips descend upon hers. The kiss soon went from PG to R, and Rory felt the same stirring in her core that she had the day before. Tristan's hands were squeezing her breasts through her pajama shirt, causing her nipples to start to harden under his touch.

Rory tried to lose herself in the kiss, but her mother's cruel words kept flashing through her head. Her mother was a hypocrite. She had sex when she was Rory's age, but now she was trying to lecture Rory about staying a virgin. Rory was sick of trying to make up for her mother's mistake. She knew she could have sex if she wanted to, and at that moment she wanted to.

Rory pushed at Tristan to get off of her, and he thought she wanted to stop. Instead, she grabbed his hand and led him into the kitchen where she turned off the pancake griddle. Rory never let go of his hand and, without a word, led him up the stairs. She felt an anger and a hunger that she had never felt in her life. Suddenly, she didn't feel shy around him anymore. She wanted to have sex with him, and that was exactly what she intended to do. Screw Lorelai. She needed this.

Tristan was confused at what Rory was doing. He thought she didn't want to go that far, but now she was dragging him towards his bedroom. Once the two of them were in his room, Rory turned to him with a wild look in her darkening eyes.

"Do you want to have sex?" she asked him, bluntly.

"I-uh, I mean, yeah," he stuttered.

When he said that, Rory closed the distance between them and passionately kissed him. In moments the room felt like it was on fire as the two horny teenagers groped at each other. In a moment, Tristan pulled his shirt off and threw it on the floor, loving the lusty look in Rory's eyes as she checked out his chiseled abs. He pulled her shirt over her head, and it joined his on the floor as he captured her mouth in a kiss. They stumbled onto his bed and Tristan's hands tangled in Rory's hair as he kissed her, but his fingers moved down to her nipples. He slowly rubbed small circles around the sensitive tips, which made Rory gasp for air.

Tristan took advantage of the break in their lip contact to feast upon her breasts. He ran his tongue from the underside of her left breast all the way up over her tightening bud, and then up to her collarbone where he marked her. He blew on the hickey he left, and Rory let out a guttural moan at the sensation.

Rory had never felt so alive. Her entire life she was supposed to be the good girl, but now she wanted to have sex. In a way she just wanted to do it so she could say she had done something no one expected her to do. Those thoughts left her head, though, as Tristan began to pull on her underwear. His mouth was latched onto her right breast while his fingers eased the cotton fabric down to her feet. She kicked them off and closed her eyes as Tristan's fingers grazed up her leg and tickled the inside of her thigh. She instinctively parted her legs for him.

Tristan's ran his index finger over her slit and was surprised by how soaking wet she was. He was excited to have sex with a virgin, because every girl he had ever been with already had a popped cherry. He circled around her clit and felt her vaginal opening begin to relax. He slowly inserted his finger into her vagina, and was shocked at how tight she was. Her cunt muscles were squeezing his finger so hard he had no idea how they would even be able to have sex.

Rory felt emotions going through her that she couldn't even imagine. This was the first time anything had been inside of her and it felt good. When Tristan began to ease his finger in and out, she felt the nerves on her sensitive area send messages to every place in her body. Soon, she felt a spark light a fire inside of her. She didn't know what was happening, but it was the most wonderful feeling and she couldn't even describe exactly how it made her feel.

Tristan was shocked when he felt her orgasm already approaching, so he slowed down. He heard Rory groan when his speed decreased, but her vagina had definitely loosened up some. Sliding his boxers down, Tristan climbed back on top of her and pulled his finger out of her. He coated her nipple with her own juice and laved at it with his tongue.

"Tristan, I need you. Please," Rory whispered.

Tristan positioned himself at her opening and groaned as he slowly slid into her wetness. Rory cried out in pain, but Tristan's body wouldn't let him stop. He held Rory still and continued to press forward.

Rory was terrified as the pain soaked through her. When he finally paused, she tried to get used to the feeling, but before she could he broke through her and she screamed. He was still then, and she felt hot tears dripping down her face. Tristan wiped them away and felt bad about not stopping, but he knew this would be better for her. Rory took a deep breath as the pain in her body faded.

The feeling that replaced the pain was one of pure pleasure. She had never felt so full before in her entire life, and she smiled to let Tristan know that he could continue. He was relieved to see that she wasn't angry with him, so he slowly pulled out of her and pushed back in. It was still a little uncomfortable for Rory, but the stinging went away a little more with each stroke. Soon, Rory's body seemed to take over. She began to meet him with each stroke, and that felt even better.

Their rhythm began to get faster and she could smell a musky odor, which she assumed was the "smell of sex." The muskiness hung in the room like a cloud waiting to extinguish the fire that was rapidly building. Rory could feel something was about to happen, and it was something she wanted more than anything, but she didn't know how she could want something she'd never experienced. Then it happened and her earth shattered as she saw stars. A completely sated feeling ran from the top of her head all the way to the tips of her toes. She felt warmness inside of her and she felt Tristan collapse.

The two of them fell asleep, still joined and completely fulfilled. Tristan had finally bedded his conquest, and Rory had lost her virginity. While she thought this would be something unpredictable, she hadn't thought about the old saying "like mother, like daughter."

Rory awoke, and she could feel Tristan still inside of her. Luckily, they were on their sides, now facing each other. Her right leg was underneath Tristan and her left leg was over his legs. Their chests were flushed against each other, and Rory grinned when she thought about the events of that morning. Her leg was completely numb, so she decided to move from the position she was in. As she swung her leg back towards her, she separated herself from Tristan. She smiled as she looked at his beautiful cock. In a moment, she got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach when she realized they hadn't used a condom.

Rory felt like she was going to hyperventilate, so she quickly removed her leg from under her boyfriend's naked body. Her mind was a blur as she stumbled around his room while throwing on whatever clothes she could find, and she almost forgot to grab her shoes. She remembered them, though, and snatched them up as she ran on wobbly legs towards the door. She had to get to the bus stop. There was a bus that went to Stars Hollow every day at one in the afternoon, so she had fifteen minutes. She knew she looked terrible, but she had to get home.

Tristan stretched and woke up to find his bed empty. He groaned, and stood up thinking it had all been a dream. Then, he glanced down at Rory's panties that were lying on his floor. Fearing the worst, he put his boxers on and hurried out of his room calling her name. He ran into his dad, though. It wasn't even 2 in the afternoon and he was already drunk.

"Are you lookin' for your whore?" he asked him. "She left about ten minutes ago."

"She's not a whore," Tristan told his father through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, sure. What do you call a girl who has sex with you?"

Tristan pushed past his father, trying to ignore the thought that he was right. Rory was not a whore. He knew that. She was the virginal Mary. Only, he had just taken her virginity. Tristan felt sick to his stomach as he stood in the middle of the stairs, realizing what he had just done. Rory really hadn't wanted to have sex. She wasn't ready. There was no way a girl like that would have been ready. Now, she was probably scared out of her mind. Tristan sighed, and went back to his room. He picked up the phone and called his "friend," Kyle.

"Hey Kyle. It's Tristan. Listen, can you have one of your impromptu parties? I really need to get wasted tonight."

"Yeah, sure. I'll be there at seven. Bye."

Tristan ran his fingers threw his hair and looked around the room. For the first time in his life he really felt ashamed of what he had done. He couldn't even imagine what Rory was going through. His thoughts flashed to a couple years before when he lost his virginity.

_"Hey sexy boy," the beautiful red head said with a grin. _

_Tristan was trying to act cool, but he was only a freshman, and this was a senior girl that was not only talking to him, but calling him sexy. He played it off, and sent her a trademark smirk as he continued to drink. He didn't know what was in the punch, but it sure tasted good. _

_Somehow, the two of them had started talking, and now she was leading him towards a bedroom. Tristan was practically giddy as the girl began to unbutton her shirt. Before he knew it, he was inside of her. Emotions swirled within him, and he couldn't hold it back. The girl was royally pissed at him, and she left the bedroom in search of someone who 'knew how to handle it.' Tristan had stayed in the bedroom trying to process everything, but it was all still a big smudgy mess. _

That was the night that started Tristan on the track. At the next party, he had picked up another chick for 'practice,' and that's how his reputation got started. He kept using girls in order to perfect his performance, and after a few tries he began being called a Sex God. The name had stuck, and he became a pompous ass until he met Rory.

Lorelai was beyond angry with her daughter. She hadn't been to work since Rory left with that boy, and she felt sick about the whole thing. Lorelai thought she had raised her daughter better than that. Rory wasn't the type to stay out all night with a guy. Deep down, Lorelai knew Rory hadn't had sex with Tristan, but the truth was that it made her look like a bad mother. That sounded stupid, but it was true. Lorelai was Rory's age when she got pregnant and she couldn't stand to watch Rory go through the same thing.

Lorelai's thoughts were interrupted when she heard the door open. She sat her coffee mug down on the kitchen table and eased out of her chair, rubbing her back in the process. When she saw Rory, her heart sank. Her baby girl had had sex.

Rory's cheeks were stained with tears, her hair was a mess and she was wearing boxers and a T-shirt with no bra. She had a hickey on her neck, oh, make that two hickeys. And she looked absolutely miserable.

"Rory," her mother said, softly, as her anger melted into sadness and disappointment.

"Mom, I. . ." she began, but Lorelai cut her off.

Lorelai didn't know how long they stood there. Rory leaned against Lorelai and Lorelai held her daughter up. The pain in her back was forgotten as she held the sobbing girl. She thought it was strange the way her anger had just vanished. One look at her baby girl hurting so much was enough to make her forget about everything. They didn't know what the future had in store for them, but at that moment it didn't matter. It was just a mother comforting her child, who wasn't even a child anymore.

Rory was relieved her mother had forgiven her, but that had always been the way their relationship worked. One would get angry with the other, but it would be forgotten in a moment if the other one was needed in any way, shape, or form. At that time, Rory needed Lorelai because she had just had sex without protection. The thought of what could happen hung around Rory like a cloud, and she had no idea how she could possibly tell her mother what she had done.

It didn't matter, though. They were just a mother and a child, comforting each other through a loss. One had lost a part of her baby, the other a part of herself. Neither one could ever get the lost part back, so they just clung to each other to ease the anguish.

**A/N:** I hope you liked it! Please review, even though I really don't deserve your support after leaving y'all hanging for so long!


	8. Liar, Liar Pants On Fire

**Disclaimer:** Gilmore Girls does not belong to me. It never has, but someday it will. That is my life's ambition starting now.

**A/N:** I'm sorry it's taken this long, but I hit major writer's block. I've gotten a game plan together, so I know the general gist of the story for at least the next few chapters. That means quicker updates ;)

**Thanx:** Thanks to my amazing reviewers who keep me encouraged, and to my lovely and super sweet beta, Katherine (rosie 4299). Check out all of her stories!

**Rating:** PG-13

**Chapter 8:** Liar, Liar Pants on Fire

Lorelai and Rory finally pulled apart after several minutes of hugging and crying. Lorelai somehow managed to guide her sniffling daughter to the couch and took a deep breath before she asked the question burning in her brain.

"Did you use protection?"

Rory's brain froze for half a second before deciding that she couldn't take another lecture from her mother right now. She was humiliated and confused and her mother yelling at her for not using protection would not help matters. Besides, what are the chances that she'd actually get pregnant?

"Of course," Rory replied, feeling very guilty for lying.

Lorelai sighed in relief knowing that at least pregnancy and/or an STD were pretty much out of the picture. Now they'd just have to deal with the emotional problems caused by her sleeping with a guy she hardly even knew. Lorelai was surprised Rory would do this because it was very out of character for her. She had always been the levelheaded one that would punish herself if she did anything wrong. Rory had sex. The reality of it was mind-boggling.

"Was he, uh, nice to you?"

Rory blushed and looked down. "Yeah."

"Okay, that's good. Do you feel okay, though?"

"Yes," Rory said, with a pause. "Mom, this is really weird."

"I know, but it shouldn't be. We talk about everything. Talk to me. Ask me questions. Let me be the all-knowing mother who's had sex many times with many men. Okay, wait, that makes me sound like a whore."

Rory grinned, and that was it. The ice was broken. All the anger and tension that had been plaguing their relationship over the last few days disappeared as they smiled at Lorelai's joke. Finally, Rory decided to ask Lorelai something.

"What was your first time like?"

Lorelai was startled by the question, but was happy to answer it. "Very short. I'd say your dad lasted about five minutes."

Rory was a little freaked out by this new information, but her mother had a gleam in her eye like she was reliving the special experience. To be truthful, Rory's first time had been a beautiful and wonderful experience until she left. Rory didn't know why she ran, but it just felt like a reflex. She had unprotected sex, so she ran.

"We were on my parent's balcony, which is also where you were conceived by the way. It's been a long time since I thought about this. That was a very special night, and even after everything that's happened I still think of it as a good memory. Why did you come back home, Rory?"

"I don't know," she whispered. "It was great, and a lot longer than five minutes, but when it was over I just thought 'Oh my God, what have I done?' and I just ran."

"Okay, how about you go take a shower and then we'll go to Luke's. We can get coffee, and talk some more, or not talk. Whatever."

"Thanks, Mom."

"For what, babe?"

"For understanding," Rory said before slowly climbing the stairs.

Rory looked at her reflection in the mirror and tugged on her shirt to hide a very noticeable hickey. Although she didn't look any different than she had a few days ago, she felt worlds away from her former self. She had always been curious about sex, but Tristan had taken her to places she couldn't have imagined existing. The new feelings in her body were exhilarating, but terrifying simultaneously.

Rory liked Tristan, but now that they had . . . she didn't know where they stood. Would he refuse to talk to her now that he had bedded her? In her heart, Rory knew Tristan wasn't like that. Everyone portrayed him as an arrogant jackass who would sleep with anything that had a vagina, but she knew better. He was a caring, misunderstood guy who had made some errors in judgment. Underneath his cocky exterior was a kind soul that laughed at her silliness and held her in a way that made her feel like the only girl in the world.

"Hey sweets. Are you ready?" Lorelai called.

"Yeah," Rory replied.

She took a deep breath and slowly walked down the stairs to meet her mother. Lorelai gave Rory a smile and they linked arms and walked to Luke's. Lorelai knew Rory didn't need a lecture about sex, what she needed was time to come to terms with what happened. Even though it would be hard, she knew it was something she had to do if her relationship with her daughter stood any chance of getting through this. Richard and especially Emily pressured her when she was a teenager and it drove her out of their lives for years.

Rory and Lorelai finally arrived at their destination and Lorelai stormed in and went straight to the counter and sat down. Rory followed her and inwardly winced as she plopped down onto the stool a little too aggressively. Even though Tristan had been "nice" to her, she was still very sore from being stretched like that for the first time.

"What can I get you, and make it snappy," Luke asked them shortly.

"Well, someone's in a very angry mood."

"Sorry, but Kirk's been in here all morning and he won't leave."

"What time did he get here?"

"6 a.m."

Lorelai glanced at her watch and raised an eyebrow. "It's almost 3:00."

"Don't remind me."

"Okay, well I'll have a burger and onion rings with coffee."

"And what do you want, Rory?"

"Oh, uh. The same thing."

"Coming up, and I'll throw in free pie if you can convince Kirk to get out of here."

"Will do," Lorelai said with a grin.

"Hello Kirk."

"Hello Lorelai. I haven't seen you in here for quite a while. That's very unusual."

Rory looked like a deer caught in headlights when he brought attention to their absence. She silently begged her mother not to say a word to Kirk about what had happened. Luckily, her mother was very merciful.

"Yeah, I've been having back spasms," Lorelai quickly explained, touching her back for emphasis.

"Oh, is that why your mother stayed at your house a few nights ago."

"Yeah."

"But then why didn't she come home until the next morning?"

Rory felt like the world had just swallowed her up, and then she caught Luke staring at them out of the corner of her eye. His face was pale and he obviously knew about the dance. Rory's chest felt tight and all the emotions that she was feeling about her possible pregnancy came out as tears uncontrollably began pouring out of her eyes.

"Oh my God. I'm one of those girls," she shrieked.

"One of what girls?" Lorelai asked her, very confused by her outburst.

By that point, Miss Patty and every other busy body in the town had leaned forward expectantly to hear her explanation.

"I'm one of those girls who stays out all night with her boyfriend behind her mother's back. I'm not supposed to be one of those girls," Rory bawled.

Lorelai closed her eyes, and when she opened them, Rory had her hand over her mouth trying to muffle her choked sobs. Apparently, she hadn't realized that everyone in the diner had their mouths dropped and were staring at her. But to make matters worse, she took her hand away from her face and continued to vent.

"And the irony of it all. I ran out because you accused me of having sex. I basically yelled at you for not trusting me. Well you were right not to trust me because I had sex. Oh my God. I had sex with Tristan DuGrey. Oh my God, what have I done? He's… well he's Tristan DuGrey!" Rory cried out, much to her mother's horror.

"I'm not a virgin anymore," she continued. "What have I done? I'm a horrible person I should be . . . Oh my God. I'm going to be sick," she finally finished and ran upstairs to use Luke's personal bathroom.

Everyone in the diner was stunned into silence at her declaration. Rory was the golden child of the town and she had just admitted to sleeping with some unknown guy. They knew she had gone to the dance with Dean Forester, but no one knew how this Tristan kid fit into the picture. Lorelai was still in a state of shock, and Luke was the first to snap out of it. He could tell by the look on Lorelai's face that she wasn't ready to deal with what this meant, so he took the initiative and trudged up the stairs where he could hear the little girl he would make mashed potatoes for when she was sick crying in his bathroom.

Rory hovered over the toilet, mortified and feeling ashamed of what she had done, and she couldn't believe she had just puked. She didn't know what she had to throw up; it's not like she had eaten anything all day. Her stomach angrily churned as she sniffled and gasped through shaky breath. She heard a knock at the door and she quickly opened it, expecting it to be her mother.

"H-i Luke," she said, looking down at her shoes in shame.

"Rory, are you okay?" he asked her.

Even though he was uncomfortable as hell in the situation, one look at how much she was hurting made him want to hug her until she stopped crying. He refrained from doing so, though. Instead, he lifted her chin to meet his eyes.

"I'm so-rry L-uke."

"Sorry for what?" he asked her.

"F-or making a sc-ene."

He smiled at her and screwed whatever had stopped him from hugging her before. She was tense for only a fraction of a second before she hugged him back. Rory felt safe with him, and that was a feeling she needed. Lorelai smiled from the corner of the room as she watched their father/daughterish embrace.

"It'll be okay, you know," Luke whispered into Rory's ear.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks."

They pulled away and then they noticed Lorelai. Luke decided to leave them alone, and he walked back downstairs to the gossip mill. What he hadn't counted on was a new character standing in the diner with confidence dripping from his stature. One look at the Lexus parked in the front of the store was all it took to make Luke sure that this was the now infamous Tristan DuGrey.

"You, outside," Luke ordered.

Tristan stared him down for only a second before deciding that this guy was serious. He spun around and walked outside with Luke hot on his heels.

Lorelai and Rory stood in silence and without warning, Lorelai started to laugh. Rory looked at her like she had just grown 6 heads and raised her eyebrows at her. Lorelai tried to explain why she was laughing, but she couldn't get the words out before another fit of giggles would overtake her.

"Well I'm glad you find my absolute humiliation to be entertaining," Rory said icily, obviously hurt by her mother's insensitivity.

"No, it's not that. It's just that this is so not funny that it's funny."

"What?"

"I mean you go off to the dance with Dean, and by the way I'm still wondering exactly how the Dean/Tristan switch happened. Then you came home and we fought. You ran away and then had sex. And to top it all off, you just announced that Tristan DuGrey took your virginity to the entire diner, which means the whole town will know about it in a matter of hours. Who does that happen to?"

Rory smiled as her mother relayed the events of the weekend, and soon she was laughing along with her. This hysteria relieved the tension they both had been feeling since Rory had returned, and now they both felt better. Well, except for the nagging little voice in Rory's head that was making her feel guilty.

'Liar, liar pants on fire. You had a dick in you without a cover.'

Rory gulped as she felt fear settle into her gut. There was no turning back.

**A/N:** I'm cruel, I know. I promise the next chapter won't take as long. Thanks for reading, please review.


	9. The Saga Continues

**Disclaimer:** How many different ways can I say that this show doesn't belong to me? I'm just a poor high school student trying to somehow find a way to pay for college. Do you really think I can afford an entire television show? I don't think so.

**A/N and Thanks:** Sorry this has taken almost a year to get finished. I hit MAJOR writer's block and I had given up. But thanks to my loyal reviewers I decided to continue this story, because it's something I've put a lot of time and effort into. So this chapter goes out to everyone who loves this story!

**Rating:** PG-13

**Chapter 9:** The Saga Continues

Tristan met the strange man's gaze as he attempted to intimidate him. Years of fighting with his cold father had prepared him to deal with whoever this guy was. The most important thing was not to show fear or weakness, so Tristan kept his eyes locked onto the diner man's.

"Are you Tristan?" Luke asked, threateningly.

"Why yes I am. I didn't realize I had become a celebrity," Tristan replied, hiding any initial surprise he had in regards to the diner man knowing his name.

Luke couldn't believe the nerve of this kid. He could tell just by the way he spoke that this boy was an arrogant little prick. He wanted to tear him apart for what he did to Rory. This guy obviously tricked her. That little girl would have never, ever done, well what she did with this guy unless he had hoodwinked her.

"You better shut that smart ass mouth of yours and listen up. If you EVER hurt Rory again, I swear I will hunt you down and kick your ass. The only thing keeping me from doing that now is that there's a room full of people in there that are just waiting for me to take a swing at you."

"Whoa. What did I do that put me on this town's hit list?" Tristan asked, faking ignorance.

Apparently, the diner guy knew Rory well. This was a very small town, but he wasn't expecting to get threatened. The truth was, Tristan felt like shit already, and he didn't need this clown making him feel any worse. He needed to talk to Rory, and the diner guy was getting in his way.

"You know what you did, you good for nothing-" Luke started, but was cut off by a small voice.

"It's okay, Luke."

"Okay, well are you ready to face the town?" Lorelai asked Rory after their laughter had subsided.

"Do I have to?" Rory whined, with a grin.

Her mother always had a way of making her feel better. They linked arms, and walked down the stairs. Rory prepared to be stared at, but instead she noticed most of the people were watching the street. She gasped when she saw Luke and Tristan arguing. She had to stop it and quickly. Letting go of her mom's arm, Rory rushed towards the door and opened it up just in time to hear Luke start in on Tristan. He obviously had showed his obnoxious side to Luke. Tristan definitely needed to learn when obnoxiousness was appropriate, and when it was uncalled for.

"It's okay, Luke," Rory stopped him.

Tristan looked up, and Rory could see guilt all over his face. He tried to mask it with cockiness, but she could see it. He felt horrible about the night before, and Luke wasn't making it any better.

"Are you sure, Rory?" he asked her, protectively.

Then he saw how her eyes were locked on the boy. Luke noticed the change immediately. Instead of the steely gaze he had held just moments ago, his eyes were on the ground. He was slouched over and he kept biting his lip. Luke was surprised at how quickly his arrogance had vanished.

"Yeah. I think we need to talk, Tristan."

Tristan just nodded, and Luke could barely believe how ashamed this guy looked. That still didn't make him like the kid, but he was glad to see Rory hadn't chosen a complete dumbass.

Lorelai stared as the two teens walked away. She felt a sense of loss as Rory began to get farther away from her. Her baby girl was growing up. Soon, she wouldn't need her. Not really. Sure they would still talk, but it wouldn't be like it was when she was little and needed Lorelai for everything. Her baby girl wasn't a baby anymore. She was becoming a woman, and that realization hit Lorelai, hard.

"Thanks for everything, Luke. I think I'm going to go home," she told him.

"Lorelai," Luke called, as she began to walk away.

He could see how fallen she looked over the whole horrible situation. Luke had always loved Lorelai. It wasn't something he could control, or even something that he wanted to control. It was just a fact of his life. Lorelai was a big part of it, even if she didn't know it.

"Yeah," she said, softly.

"Are you okay."

She smiled at him. "No, but I will be."

Luke sighed, and watched her walk away. The day had definitely taken an unexpected turn.

Rory and Tristan sat on the ground in a wooded area of Stars Hollow, just staring at their hands. That's what they had been doing for the past 10 minutes. Neither of them had said a word. What do you say after the awkwardness that had transpired in the last few days?

"I'm sorry," Rory finally said, when the silence had gotten too loud.

"For what?" Tristan asked her, incredulously.

"For leaving this morning. Last night was amazing. I mean, uh, thank you. You know. For what you did. I mean, wow. I just woke up this morning, and I realized that we didn't use a condom, or anything. I flipped out…"

Tristan didn't hear anything else Rory said. He felt his heart drop into his stomach, and his throat closed. He thought she ran because of the sex, not because they didn't use protection.

He decided to interrupt her. "We didn't use protection?"

"No, we didn't. Wait, I thought you knew that," Rory said, confused.

"No, I thought you ran because you weren't ready to have sex. I can't believe I forgot. I'm so sorry. Oh my God."

"Hey, I should have remembered."

"No, I'm the guy, it's my responsibility. God, you don't think your… you know. Do you?"

Rory sighed, "I don't think so. I did the math, and I don't think it fits."

Tristan exhaled deeply. He was glad they worked it out; this was the girl he wanted to be with. She was special, and amazing, and beautiful, and funny, and sweet, and great in bed. Tristan stood up and walked towards his girlfriend.

"So, do you still want me to be your boyfriend."

"Of course," Rory answered, automatically.

Rory took a deep breath as Tristan leaned towards her and placed a kiss on her lips. In that instant, all her pain and disappointment evaporated into thin air. He wrapped his arms around her waist and just held her as they shared soft butterfly kisses. Rory had never felt as connected to anyone in her entire life. Although this all happened very quickly, she already knew that she loved him. There was no way she would tell him that, but just knowing it made her feel warm and tingly all over. They finally pulled their lips apart, and Tristan leaned his forehead against Rory's so that their noses touched.

"Are you ready to go back?" he asked her, quietly.

"Not yet. Can't we just lay here for a while?"

Tristan smiled, "Of course."

The couple leaned back in the soft grass, surrounded by trees and just enjoyed each other's company. No words needed saying, they could just be. To them, at that moment, they were the only two in the whole world. Their connection ran deeper than any either one of them had ever had. Tristan knew this was love, but he didn't want to scare Rory off, so he kept his mouth shut. He smiled as he said to himself, _"I'm in love with Rory Gilmore."_

The rest of the day passed by fairly quickly. Tristan spent the afternoon with Rory and Lorelai, and although tensions remained between them it wasn't as excruciating as Tristan thought it would be. When he had to go back to Hartford, he gave Rory a deep loving kiss before he left. Neither one of them felt Lorelai's eyes on them as they said their good-byes. Just by watching the way they held each other, Lorelai knew they were in love. Neither one of them was willing to say it, but their body language screamed the truth. Lorelai was happy for Rory, and Tristan wasn't as bad as she thought. All in all, the weekend ended on a good note.

Sure there was still gossip around Stars Hollow, but Rory was so happy that Tristan was all hers that she didn't even care. Her nerves did get the better of her on Monday morning, though. Rory took the bus to school, as usual, but she had no idea how Tristan was going to act around her. She wasn't exactly "Ms. Popular" and he was the King of Chilton. Her worries were soon whisked away because she was barely on school grounds when Tristan and some of his guy friends approached her.

"Hey Mary," Tristan said with a grin, and he greeted her with a kiss.

Rory internally rolled her eyes at his little joke. At Chilton, they were the only two who knew her Mary status had turned from Virgin to Magdalene. The other guys made some jokes about the dance and how she sure told her date off. They all knew Tristan had a thing for Rory, even if he didn't verbalize it. Each one of them had caught him staring at her at some point. They were very glad the two were finally together, although the goo-goo eyes probably wouldn't quit.

At lunch, Rory was going to sit by herself as usual, but Tristan came over and sat next to her.

"What are you doing?" Rory asked him.

"Eating lunch with my girlfriend. Why? Is that so weird?"

Rory sighed. "I guess you can eat here. Just don't bother me."

She loved that he wanted to sit with her. Rory didn't know why she had been so nervous about how Tristan would act with his friends. Her insecurities had a habit of showing up around boys, but now she felt completely comfortable around Tristan and they spent their entire lunch talking and joking about movies and how crazy everything was. Tristan kissed Rory as the bell rang to signal the end of lunch. Then they parted ways for the rest of the day.

After school, Rory walked towards the bus as usual, but Tristan ran up behind her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To the bus. That's how I get home."

"Not anymore," Tristan said with a wink.

Rory smiled and Tristan grabbed her hand and pulled her towards his BMW. All of a sudden Rory thought about something.

"Didn't you have a Lexus, yesterday?"

"Oh yeah," Tristan replied. "That was my mother's car. Mine needed an oil change."

"Oh okay. I just thought you got _another_ new car," she teased.

"I admit my family has money, but we don't spend it that carelessly," Tristan said with a laugh.

As soon as they got into the car, Rory quickly pulled out a Blondie CD, and put it in. They drove to Stars Hollow without talking until Tristan thought about something strange that Rory hadn't explained.

"Wait a second. Why did that diner guy… uh Luke try to beat me up, yesterday?"

Rory turned about four different shades of red as she recalled her outburst in the diner. She sighed when she realized there was no way around telling Tristan. If their relationship was going to work, she had to be completely honest with him.

"Well, that's kind of a funny story. Not so much funny ha-ha as it is the unbelievable kind of funny. You see, I was in the diner with my mom after well you know, and I had a bit of a meltdown. I basically announced to the entire diner that you deflowered me."

"What?" Tristan screamed.

Suddenly it all made sense. Everywhere they went all day yesterday they were stared and whispered at. He had just chalked it up to him being a stranger in a very small town. Obviously there was more to it than that.

"I know. I started crying and ran upstairs to Luke's apartment where I proceeded to throw up. That was probably around the time you came into the diner."

Tristan could not believe all the awful things that happened to Rory. It was sort of funny, in a very sick way. He started to laugh and Rory joined in. They knew there was nothing they could do to stop what had happened, so the couple just accepted it and moved on. Tristan and Rory were so happy that they weren't going to let anything get them down. Unfortunately, it wouldn't stay like that for long.

**A/N:** Dun dun dun……. What did you think? Did you like it? Please Review!


	10. Always Knock

**Disclaimer:** Gilmore Girls still doesn't belong to me because if it did Chad Michael Murray would be on both GG and OTH… Hehehehe.

**A/N:** Another chapter, _gasp_ but I have to do something in order to get my loyal readers back! I swear to you, I'm with this story till the end! By the by, if anyone is up for being my beta, please email me at: thanks a billion!

**Rating:** NC-17

**Chapter 10:** Always Knock

The next couple of weeks passed by very quickly for Rory and Tristan. Rory worked on the paper and studied as usual, but instead of spending the weekends on the couch, she went out with Tristan. Lorelai felt a little left out by the way that Rory had suddenly abandoned her. They were supposed to be the "Gilmore Girls, No Boys Allowed," but now Rory ran off to play with her _boyfriend _instead of mocking movies with her mother.

Rory, of course, was oblivious to her mother's feelings because every time Tristan picked her up for a date, Lorelai just smiled and said, "Have a good time. And don't do anything I wouldn't do." Rory and Tristan's sex life had become something quite animalistic. Rory didn't even know about most of the things Tristan did with her. She felt quite naughty, but thoroughly satisfied when they were finished each time. While Tristan took to changing Rory's sexual habits, she took to altering his study habits.

Sure Tristan studied, but nothing to the extent of what Rory did. Of course if he wanted to see her during the week, he'd have to make a study date because this girl did not mess around with her grades. And 'study date' was not just a cute way of saying a make-out session. Their study dates were hardcore drilling in every class, until finally Rory would decide she'd had enough. Then of course, they'd make out until Tristan had to go home. Or rather until Lorelai thought Tristan should go home.

One morning, Lorelai awoke to hear something rummaging around in the bathroom. She glanced at her clock and realized it was 6 a.m. on Saturday morning, so there was no way Rory would be awake this early. Then she remembered Rory had looked very pale yesterday and had hardly said a word at Friday night dinner, when normally she's very social. Even when Lorelai made a joke about how ridiculous Taylor looked chasing Kirk around town with a shovel, Rory barely cracked a smile. Lorelai figured Rory had just gotten sick, so she opened the door without knocking.

Rory set her phone to ring at 6:00 in the morning. She never even fell asleep. She just reviewed the facts in her mind over and over again until they just blurred together. During the newspaper meeting, she received several new deadlines so she began writing them in her planner. That's when she saw it. Red circles drawn around dates six days before that Friday. She was late, and that was very unusual for her. She instantly felt numb and went into a zombie-like mode for the rest of the day. Tristan didn't take her home on days when she had a newspaper meeting, so she didn't have to worry about telling him why she needed to stop in a drug store ten miles from Stars Hollow and Chilton.

Rory cautiously walked into the store and glanced at all the aisles to make sure she didn't know anyone there. Only strangers filled the store, so she sighed with relief and grabbed two pregnancy tests. She wanted to be certain either way. She paid quickly and tried to ignore the look of pity from the cashier. Once she got to the car she took them out of the bag and read the instructions. She wanted to get it done and over with in the nearest bathroom. Unfortunately, they said that urine is the most concentrated in the morning, so the test would be more accurate then. She didn't want to take any chances with the results.

So that's where Rory was. Lying in bed waiting until her phone beeped, signaling that it was morning and she could take the test. It's kind of funny that peeing on a stick would decide her entire future. There could be a baby… Her ringing phone cut off her thoughts before she could think about what exactly a baby would mean.

Rory finished taking both tests and then set them on the counter. Luckily, both tests would turn blue if she was pregnant and pink if she was not. That way, even if she mixed up the boxes and the pregnancy tests, she'd still get the correct results. Rory stared at her watch as the two insanely long minutes barely ticked by. That's when she heard the doorknob turn. There wasn't even time to react before the door swung open and Lorelai stood there.

"Hey, Rory are you sick…" she began, but stopped the second she saw the tests.

Rory's mouth was wide open as Lorelai gaped at her, "Oh my God. You're pregnant!"

"I don't know," Rory whispered.

"How late are you?" Lorelai asked, in horror.

"Six days," Rory said, looking at the floor.

She knew the two minutes were up, but there was no way in hell she was moving from the toilet seat to check. Lorelai saw that Rory was about to cry, so she stopped herself from vocalizing her disappointment. There was no reason to yell and get upset if they were negative. Besides, Rory used protection.

"Well. What do they say?" Lorelai asked quietly.

Rory stood up, slowly and saw two distinct blue lines staring back at her. Her heart literally felt like it dropped into her stomach as she stared at those two significant pieces of plastic.

"This has to be some kind of mistake! I can't be pregnant. I'm only sixteen years old. Oh my God! I'm so stupid. I had unprotected sex and now I'm pregnant. Oh my God!" Rory shrieked.

Lorelai felt numb when she heard Rory's outburst. Then she realized something Rory had just said didn't add up to some previous information.

"What do you mean unprotected sex?"

Rory went silent and didn't dare look at her mother.

"What do you mean unprotected sex?" Lorelai repeated, quite a bit louder.

Rory knew she had to speak up. "I kind of lied to you. We didn't use a condom the first time."

Lorelai's anger that had been building within her since Rory first brought home that jackass finally spilled out. "What! How could you not use a condom, Rory! I've been telling you since you got your period that when you decided to have sex you had to protect yourself! How many times did I tell you that? How many times, Rory!"

By then Rory was bawling. She already felt awful, and she did not need her mother telling her what a horrible person she was. Her mother was still screaming at her when she pushed passed her and ran downstairs. Her mother was still screaming at her when she grabbed Lorelai's jeep keys. And her mother was still screaming at her as she peeled out of her driveway and towards the one person that she knew would make her feel better.

Tristan had an okay Friday, but he always missed Rory when she had to stay for newspaper meetings. Usually, the meetings were on Thursday but this week the editor had some new deadlines, so Rory had to stay. The strange thing was that he couldn't get a hold of Rory all day. He knew she had to go to Friday night dinner, but she usually called him afterwards to dish on the awful things that happened. Before he went to bed he left one last message saying that he was going to drive to Stars Hollow the next day to see her. He never got the chance to go, though.

At a quarter to seven, Tristan was sound asleep in his bed. Then he heard it. A faint ringing and tapping. As he slowly exited his dream world, he realized it was the door. Tristan stumbled down the stairs and opened up the door to a hysterical Rory.

"Whoa, Mary what's wrong?" he asked the sobbing girl.

"I-I'm p-p-p-reg-nrlkdjant," Rory said with a sob at the end.

"You're what?" Tristan asked.

"I-I'm p-pregnant," she said with plenty of clarity, now.

Tristan felt as if someone had just punched him in the stomach, and he actually physically bent over a little bit. Rory just kept on crying and saying something about her mom walking in on her taking the pregnancy tests and flipping out. And then she asked the question that every teenage couple asks in this situation.

"What are we going to do?"

There was no way Tristan could answer that. His head was still spinning from the news. Rory was pregnant. Pregnant. The P-word echoed inside his head over and over again. What were they going to do? How were they supposed to tell everyone? Tristan inwardly groaned when he remembered that Lorelai already knew. She just barely tolerated him as it was, now he didn't know if she'd ever allow Rory to see him. But he had to see Rory, and Lorelai had to let him see Rory because he's the father of her baby. Baby. There was going to be a baby.

Tristan didn't answer Rory. He just pulled her close to him and held her against his chest. After she calmed down a little, he grabbed her hand and took her upstairs. She cuddled up next to him in his bed and closed her eyes. Tristan gently rolled her onto her back and kissed her softly on the lips. Normally, their kisses were filled with lust and passion. This was different. It was loving and sweet. Soon, Tristan's hands traveled up Rory's nightshirt; it was actually one of his T-shirts that he had given her once when she spilled a milk shake on her blouse. He smiled as he slipped it over her head and he slowly began to suckle on her nipples. His actions were slow as he drew circles around her areolas with the tip of his tongue. When he finished with one, he gently blew on it and watched the bud tighten.

Rory knew Tristan was doing this to take her mind off of THE THING, but it was actually working. As he teased her breasts, stopping only to give her a deep kiss, he also began to remove her shorts and panties. Rory realized he was still in his pajamas, so she began pulling off his black T-shirt. Once it was cast aside, she took to exploring his chiseled chest and abs. She grazed his defined muscle with her fingertips and wondered how much he had to work out to get his body into this kind of shape.

Tristan softly spread Rory's legs and began stroking her clitoris with his hand. She moaned in pleasure and lifted her pelvis to meet every stroke and increase the friction. Tristan then did something that he had never done to her before. He began to slide down her body, until he situated himself between her spread legs. Rory began to get nervous, but he soothed her tense muscles by kissing the inside of her knees. He alternated kisses on both legs as he slowly moved towards her burning center. Finally, he reached his target destination and Rory almost screamed when his tongue licked her slit for the first time.

She had never experienced anything like this. His warm, slippery tongue began to ease in and out of her vagina while slurping all her juices up in the process. He nibbled at her clitoris and gave it little flicks with his tongue, which made her gasp in pleasure as well as surprise. He did not increase his speed, however. Up until now they had been fucking, but they were terrified and in this situation together so Tristan wanted to make love to Rory.

Rory groaned in protest when he pulled his tongue out before she could orgasm, but Tristan silenced her with a kiss. When she tasted herself all over his mouth, she was surprised by the bitter sweetness of it. He pulled his boxers down and exposed a very erect penis to Rory's waiting eyes. She moaned as he rubbed the tip of his penis up and down the length of her slit. She began to shake as he caused the friction on her clitoris to increase. Rory almost cried when he pulled away. He was teasing her, and she knew he loved the way she reacted. He finally penetrated her and she sighed in relief as he filled her completely.

Tristan slowly began to move in and out of her. His arms were around her, and their chests were pressed tightly against one another. Her body ached for release, but Tristan kept his slow speed. He kissed her neck, her breasts, her lips, her eyelids and anything he could without stopping his slow movements. Rory's entire body was covered in sweat as they made love in the place they conceived the child inside Rory's womb. For hours, she hung on the verge of an orgasm, and finally she had one. He didn't increase his speed at all, but just the slow strokes were enough to slowly bring her to a climax. This orgasm was different than any other orgasm Rory had ever had. It was a wave that made her vision go black, and she could feel a pleasurable sensation through every part of her body. Her toes curled, her back arched and she felt Tristan let go at the same time she did. As they both moaned in ecstasy, they felt a connection to the other that went beyond anything they had ever experienced.

"Tristan?" Rory said quietly, after their breathing patterns returned to normal.

"Yeah, Mary?"

"I want to keep the baby."

Tristan was surprised, but he felt at peace when she said that. "Me too."

Lorelai stood outside for an hour after Rory left. She was still in her pajamas and she just stood there with tears running down her face as her baby drove away. No, Rory didn't drive away… Lorelai pushed her away. Rather than telling her it would all be okay, and they'd figure it out, Lorelai yelled at her.

"I'm my mother," she said, quietly.

"What? Lorelai can you hear me? What's going on?" a voice asked her.

Luke was driving back to the diner early Saturday morning with the some supplies he had picked up when he saw Rory and Lorelai running out of their house in their pajamas at 6 in the morning. This was strange for several reasons:

Lorelai and Rory do not run. They abhor exercise in all fashions, namely running.

They never, EVER get up before 10:00 on a Saturday.

Lorelai was screaming at Rory, and Rory was crying as she climbed into her mother's jeep.

Luke knew he had to get the food to the diner so Caesar could start getting ready for the early morning rush. It was quite a large amount, so it took him about 45 minutes to unload it all. When he finally finished he ran back to the Gilmore house. There he saw Lorelai looking at the driveway where her jeep was parked an hour before. He walked up to her and she didn't shift her gaze at all.

Then she said, "I'm my mother."

Luke had no idea why she would say something like that so he said, "What? Lorelai can you hear me? What's going on?"

She slowly came out of her dazed state and looked at him with the saddest eyes he'd ever seen anyone have. He wanted to hold her until her quirky smile took the place of the tear-streaked face she had.

"Rory's pregnant."

"What?" Luke yelled, louder than he meant to.

"Yup. Her brand new playboy boyfriend knocked her up. She was a virgin and he most certainly was not. It's his fault, Luke. He was supposed to be responsible, but no he didn't even bother to use a condom. The jackass. Now Rory's pregnant. I'm going to be a 32-year-old grandmother. How sick is that?"

Luke just stared at her. He didn't know what to say. There really wasn't anything to say. Nothing could change the fact that Rory was pregnant.

"Oh my God, we're going to have to tell my parents. I can't do this again by myself. I just can't," Lorelai said, kind of panicked. "You don't understand what it was like for me to tell them I was pregnant with Rory. It was terrible! I can not do that again all alone. Luke, I know this is weird, but will you come with us when we have to tell them?"

Luke was very uncomfortable with this, but he had known Rory since she was eleven and he didn't think Lorelai's parents would attack either of them if he was there, so he decided what the hell.

"Sure. If you really want me there of course I will."

"Thank you," Lorelai said quietly, as she went back into the house to wait for Rory.

Rory and Tristan had breakfast together, and they talked about everything. Tristan had a trust fund that his grandfather had given him for his sixteen birthday. Janlan DuGrey was the only person who knew how bad his parents were. He wanted to give Tristan a way out in case things ever got too much for him to handle. Because Tristan had a trust fund, he knew that he could afford anything they would need. So even if their parents rejected them, which was the worst case scenario, he could afford a nice apartment and the tuition money for Chilton. His grandfather wanted to make sure his grandson was well taken care of if he decided to become an emancipated minor.

Of course his parents had no idea about the trust fund. Tristan still used their money. He decided to save his money in case he ever needed to move out, and he was glad that he had made that decision because it looked like he may need the money very soon. After breakfast, Rory knew she needed to go back home and talk to Lorelai. Their relationship had been rocky at best ever since the dance. She felt like a weekend movie marathon was needed. Tristan understood completely, and he kissed her goodbye as she climbed into the jeep.

"So I guess I'll see you on Monday," he said, with a frown.

"Sad boy. It'll be okay. I'll call you tonight if I can stay awake long enough."

"Promise?" Tristan asked with a grin.

"Promise."

**A/N:** Please please please review! I need reviews to survive. Also, if you're interested in being my trory beta, please email me at: 


	11. Returns

**Disclaimer:** Gilmore Girls isn't mine, but perhaps one day it will be. Hmmm, maybe I should buy it for 'camera zooms in for dramatic effect' one million dollars. 'insert evil laugh here'.

**A/N:** Well, thanks for all your wonderful reviews! They keep me going. This is a special note to everyone who begged me not to make Rory pregnant: Have faith, my good readers and I promise this will not be cliché. Please stick with this story, you won't be disappointed! And a special thanks goes out to my brand, spanking new beta: Christi. Thanks to everyone who offered to be my beta, y'all rock! Now, onto chapter 11!

**Rating:** PG (this chapter)

**Chapter 11:** Returns

Luke was preoccupied for the rest of the morning with thoughts about Rory and Lorelai. He'd never seen Lorelai look so fragile. This was sickening to him, and now he had to meet the elder Gilmore's. He didn't know why he agreed to go with Lorelai . . . well, that was a lie. Luke wanted to go with Lorelai because he cared deeply about her. Just then, Luke saw Lorelai's jeep drive by the diner, and he sighed when he saw Rory in the driver's seat. She had come home. Hopefully, they could work it out and maybe, just maybe they'd call off the horrendous Friday night dinner that awaited them all.

Rory drove towards her house and hoped with all her heart that Lorelai wouldn't yell at her, again. She hated when they fought and lately, that's all they seemed to do. They had to get their relationship back on track because Rory didn't know how she would get through the next 8 months without her mother's help. Rory took a deep breath as she shut off the ignition and stepped out of the jeep. As she began the long, slow trek towards the house the door opened.

Lorelai paced in front of the window for three hours, waiting for Rory to come home. She was ashamed of herself, and she didn't feel like she had the right to call Rory after how she acted. Then, she saw her jeep in the driveway, and she ran towards the door. Lorelai paused just before she pulled on the doorknob and took a deep breath. Then she pulled the door open and ran towards Rory.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me. I didn't want to be like my mother. I've told myself a million times that I would handle it differently than my mother, but here it happened, and I did the same thing," Lorelai said, with tears threatening to fall.

Rory smiled, softly and wrapped her arms around her mother. "I understand, and I'm sorry, too."

They both hugged and cried together, and then Rory figured that would be the perfect time to tell her mother about her decision.

"We're keeping the baby, Mom."

Lorelai looked at Rory with surprise. "Well, you have plenty of time to think…"

Rory cut her off. "No. I want to have our baby. I love Tristan."

"What? How can you love him? You barely know each other."

Rory smiled. "I know, but that doesn't matter. I love him, and I can't explain how it happened, but I know that I'm supposed to love him."

Lorelai looked at the certainty and calm in her daughter's face and voice and knew that she was telling the truth. Rory never ceased to surprise her and after everything she had been through, she was standing in front of Lorelai with an eerie mellowness. Sure, she was terrified to the core, but somehow Rory knew everything would be okay. Lorelai smiled and gave Rory a big hug.

Their relationship was not perfect, but Lorelai was not going to punish Rory forever. Everyone makes mistakes and it was time to focus on the positives. Tristan was still on her most hated list, but at least her baby girl was safe. Of course the sinking feeling was still in Lorelai's stomach when she thought about how Richard and Emily would react, but they still had a few days before that night would come.

"So, you up for a movie marathon?" Rory asked Lorelai.

"You bet."

They spent the entire afternoon and evening watching the Molly Ringwald trilogy. They both knew life would never be the same again, but for that moment they just relaxed and enjoyed their time together as just a mother and a daughter. As the last movie ended, Lorelai turned to Rory and decided it was time to bring up the topic she had been avoiding.

"Well, since you've decided to keep the baby… um, well… have you thought about telling your grandparents?"

Rory felt the urge to vomit the second her grandparents were even mentioned. At that second, the reality of the situation dawned on her. Everyone would know about the baby because her stomach was going to pooch out. She wouldn't be able to see her feet in a few months. 'Oh dear God,' Rory thought, she had a human being growing inside of her at that moment, and soon everyone would know about it. She tried to remain calm and collected like she had been earlier, but Lorelai saw her 'deer in the headlights' look.

"Uh, to tell you the truth it hadn't crossed my mind. I was more concerned about telling you and Tristan. Oh my God. I have to tell everyone."

"It'll be okay. I asked Luke to come with us… if that's okay."

Rory smiled, softly. "Of course that's okay. Wait… Luke knows?"

Lorelai let out a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, I sort of had a meltdown after you left. He asked me what was wrong and I spilled."

Rory shook her head at her mother. "You're pathetic."

"I'm pathetic! You're the one who's a pregnant teenager."

"Takes one to know one," Rory joked back.

Finally, it seemed that they were back on track. It felt good to have the same silly banter, even though the subject matter was much more serious. Rory went into her room to call Tristan and ask him to Friday night dinner while Lorelai called her parents to see if it would be okay to invite Tristan and his family to dinner. She cringed as she heard her mother's voice on the other line.

"Hello."

"Hi Mom."

"Lorelai. What can I do for you?" Emily snapped.

"Wow, are you always that short on the phone?"

"What do you need, Lorelai?" Emily sighed, obviously tired of her daughter.

"Well a 'how are you today, Lorelai?' would be nice. Or how about a 'good to hear from you'," Lorelai babbled.

"Okay, Lorelai, it's good to hear from you. Now, what do you want?"

Lorelai took a deep breath. "Well, Rory has a new boyfriend."

"Oh really."

"Yes, I think you know him. Tristan DuGrey."

"Oh yes! He's such a lovely boy. Rory has very good taste. His family is absolutely charming."

"Yeah, he's a peach," Lorelai said, trying not to sound too sarcastic. "Anyway, I was wondering if we could invite his family and him to Friday night dinner."

"Of course," Emily stated, immediately. "I tell you, Lorelai, Rory has found herself a wonderful boy."

Lorelai almost vomited as her mother gushed about the kid that knocked up her daughter, the kid that had put a gap between her and her baby. She wanted him to suffer, and she hoped that someone in his family would hurt him the same way he had hurt Lorelai. She wanted him to feel ashamed for not protecting her little girl from the same fate she had. This was going to be too hard for Rory. Lorelai had wanted more for her. Rory was supposed to go to Harvard and become a journalist. She was supposed to be able to do all of the things that Lorelai didn't get a chance to do. The more she thought about what that kid had done to them, the angrier she got.

"Okay Mom," Lorelai said, sounding very irritated. "I get that you're just crazy about him. We'll see you, Friday. Oh yeah, I'm bring my friend, Luke."

"Oh alright, Lorelai."

Lorelai hung up the phone quickly and felt hot tears burning down her face. She wiped away the tears as quickly as she could and walked slowly to her daughter's room. Lorelai didn't mean to eavesdrop, but she heard their good-byes and it tore at her heart when she heard those 4 little words leave her daughter's mouth.

"I love you, hon."

She said them so sweetly, and with such sincerity that it infuriated Lorelai even further. There was no way Tristan DuGrey really loved Rory. She was sure Rory thought she was in love, but they had only been together for a month. A month was not enough time to fall in love.

Rory smiled to herself as she closed her phone. What Lorelai didn't know was that Tristan had already hung up before hearing Rory say that. Rory was too much of a chicken to say the L-word first, but she felt it in every part of her body. Rory was scared to death about the baby, but just knowing that Tristan was going through the same thing she was made it seem okay. They could handle this as long as they did it together. Then her mother walked in and was acting very funny.

"I talked to your grandmother, and she said it was fine for Tristan and his family to come."

"Tristan said they'd be there, at least some of them. His parents are the absent kind."

Lorelai clenched her teeth and nodded in understanding. Her father had been the absent kind, and both of Christopher's parents had been distant and unconnected with their son. The doorbell rang then, chasing thoughts of her teenage rendezvous with Rory's father away.

"That's good. I'll get the door."

"Coming," she yelled, as the doorbell rang a second time.

The door opened and her mouth dropped to the floor. There, standing in front of her stood Christopher Hayden in a leather jacket. Lorelai took a glance behind him and saw his motorcycle parked in the driveway next to her jeep.

"Hey Lor. How's our kid, doing?"

"Chris!" Lorelai gaped as soon as she could speak. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just passing through. I had to run a business deal in Hartford, so I thought I'd stop by and see my two favorite gals."

"Wow, it's great to see you," Lorelai said and gave him a huge hug.

Lorelai would never admit it to anyone, but when Chris was with her, he became her rock. Right now, she needed a rock so she almost burst out crying when he hugged her back just as tightly.

"Are you okay?" Chris asked her, but he didn't get to hear a response.

"Dad!" Rory yelled and through her arms around her father.

"Hey kiddo! I've missed you, so much!"

"Me too. Oh wow, I can't believe you're really here!"

"Me neither," Lorelai whispered, but nobody heard her.

"What do you say I take you both out for ice cream."

Lorelai grinned, and decided she'd wallowed enough about Rory's condition. It was time for her too at least pretend to be all right. Besides, now was not the time to tell Christopher. Now was the time to forget about it and envy his ignorance to the life-changing situation that was currently forming.

"I've never said no to free dessert, and I'm not about to start now!" she said, grabbing Chris by the hand and pulling him out the door.

Rory smiled, but in the pit of her stomach, she realized that now she'd have to tell her father, as well. Suddenly, ice cream didn't sound like a great idea. She refused to let her anxiety show, though, and went along with her parents. Seeing them together was strange, but she was happy that her mother was pretending to be okay. There was no need to tell her father about his impending grandfather-state. He might as well be told with everyone else on Friday night.

"Come on, slow poke," her father joked, and Rory walked a little faster to keep up.

"I'm coming."

After they had their ice cream, Rory felt the now familiar nausea return in such a force that she had to lean over and throw up in the bushes on the way home. Any time she even thought about telling people she was pregnant, the sick feeling would return and anything in her stomach would be history.

"Rory, are you okay?" Chris asked her.

"Yeah, I'm just… getting over a virus. I guess I over did it on the ice cream."

"Oh, I'm sorry kiddo."

"Yeah, me too," Rory said as she clutched her stomach.

Lying to her father didn't help matters any, and she felt nauseous all over again and sprinted towards the house, barely making it to the toilet. As she knelt over the cold white bowl, she began to cry. Not about her future or about what a baby would mean in 7 ½ months. Rory cried because of how disappointed everyone would be in her. As she sobbed, her stomach churned and gargled.

"I'm sorry, baby," Rory whispered. "I'm sorry you had to have me as a mommy. I promise I'll love you, but right now my life is a real mess."

Rory kissed her fingers and placed her fingers on her lower abdomen. Everything would be okay, she told herself, but the nausea returned, and she leaned over the toilet once again.

"Is she okay?" Chris asked.

"Yeah, she's just a little sick, still and stressed about school. She's fine, though."

"Good. How are you, though?" Christopher asked.

Before Lorelai could spill her guts, Rory returned looking very pale.

"I'm sorry, but I'm feeling really tired, so I'm going to go to bed, now. Goodnight, Dad. I'm glad you're here."

"Me too, kiddo," Chris told her, giving her a hug. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Dad."

Lorelai gave Rory a hug that said a lot more than goodnight. It said that everything would work out and that she'd be there for her, no matter what. That was the warmest hug and Rory had never needed to be held so badly in her entire life.

"Goodnight, babe."

"Night Mom."

**A/N:** Did you love it? Did you hate it? What do you think will happen, next? I want to know, so please R&R!


	12. Friday Night Hell

**Disclaimer:** Gilmore Girls isn't mine, I just borrow the characters and some basic plot points and then throw them into my crazy imagination, and the following is what comes out from there.

**A/N:** Here it is! The chapter where everyone finds out about the pregnancy! Are y'all excited, yet? Well thanks a million times over for all your reviews. Reviewers keep me motivated to continue writing and also to write as well as I possibly can so that I do not disappoint anybody. Thank you Christi, you've been so much help!

**Rating:** R (for language)

**Chapter 12:** Friday Night Hell

Rory, Lorelai, Christopher, and Luke all stood in front of the Gilmore mansion. Poor Chris had no idea why the silence on the car ride was almost deafening, but he knew something was up. It was obviously something big and it involved everyone, but Chris had no idea what it could possibly be. Luke didn't know why he was standing in front of the largest house he had ever seen, but he could see the tension written all over Lorelai's face and then glanced at Christopher's carefree, puzzled expression and put it together. Rory was going to tell her father as well as her grandparents. This night was going to be pure hell.

Rory felt dizzy from terror and dread over what was to come. She was glad her mother and Luke were there to back her up, but this wasn't something they could exactly help her with. She had no idea what to expect when the words would finally spill out of her mouth, but Rory knew it would be atrocious. She took a deep breath to keep from vomiting on the front steps.

After what seemed like an eternity, the newest maid finally opened the door and ushered them all into the foyer while taking their coats. Then, they were greeted by the sound of laughter. They all walked into the living room and met the troupe that had already assembled. Tristan's mother and grandfather were there along with Rory's grandparents, already sipping on drinks. They were all joking and laughing, and Lorelai snickered to herself when she saw Tristan sitting with a sullen look on his face. That was the look of misery, and Lorelai loved every minute of it.

"Oh hello, everyone!" Emily greeted and asked them all to sit down.

"Christopher! What are you doing here?" Richard asked him, standing up to shake his hand.

"Just passing through. I thought I'd drop in to see the girls."

"My, my, it's good to see you. How's business going?"

The two of them branched into their own conversation with Tristan's grandfather, and Tristan glanced up at Rory and saw how pale and frightened she looked. Luke and Lorelai distracted Emily and Tristan's mother unintentionally, so that the two of them were left alone. Tristan grabbed Rory by the hand pulling her out of the living room and into the foyer.

"How are you holding up?" he asked her, softly, while giving her a delicate kiss.

Tears almost began to fall, but Rory stopped herself and began to lie. "I'm fine. This is all going to be okay…"

"Rory, tell me the truth," Tristan asked her, looking deep into her eyes.

Rory couldn't hold the tears back any longer. The stress of tonight had completely drained her of all her energy. She could barely focus on her schoolwork, was nauseous all the time, and had insane mood swings. She'd be just fine one moment and almost to the point of breaking down the next.

"I'm a wreck. I feel like sneaking out of my mother's old bedroom like she used to do when she was a teenager. I don't want to tell them. I don't want to see that look of disappointment on their faces. I don't…"

Tristan watched Rory cry, and he reached over and pulled her into a warm, tight embrace. He had been having a hard time dealing with everything after finding out that she was pregnant, but he had no idea the kind of stress the pregnancy was putting on Rory. As Rory cried, she could feel herself almost zoning out, and her entire body felt strange.

"Rory, Tristan? Where are you two?"

Rory sniffled and pulled away from Tristan quickly. Tristan was amazed at how she stopped crying just like that. She did look very pale and just plain exhausted. Before he could ask her if she was alright, Rory answered Emily.

"We're right here, Grandma," Rory said, while wiping the tears from her cheeks.

They returned and tried to chat with everyone. Just when Rory felt like she was about to just blurt out that she was pregnant, the maid said that dinner was prepared. Rory sighed in relief and felt like she had just dodged a bullet. Everyone sat down at the table and the maid served everyone lamb. The smell made Rory want to vomit, but she tried to control her gag reflex as best she could.

"Rory, is something wrong?" her grandmother asked.

"No, I'm alright," Rory mumbled, quietly.

"Are you sure, dear? You don't look well."

Everyone at the table looked at Rory at that moment and saw that she looked like she could faint at any moment. Her face was hollow and white, her lips had no pigment in them, and she looked like she had lost at least five pounds. Rory felt even worse than she looked. Her back was aching and her head was pounding as if someone had a sledgehammer to it. Reality seemed to be fading in and out, and Rory wanted to cry and throw up and pass out all at once. At that moment, all the stress that had been building up over the last couple of weeks came to a head, and Rory couldn't take it anymore.

"Yes, there's something wrong, Grandma. I'm pregnant."

Silence filled the dinner table as every mouth, except Luke and Lorelai's, fell open. Christopher stared at Tristan, but Tristan's eyes were on his plate. Janlan looked ashamed and disappointed as he shook his head. Tristan's mother rolled her eyes and reached for her wine. Richard's face was sullen and he seemed to freeze. Emily Gilmore broke the tense silence with an outburst.

"Lorelai! How could you let this happen?" she screamed, and every vein seemed to stick out of her head.

"Me! What do you mean me?" Lorelai squeaked, feeling sixteen all over again.

"I told you, you were going to lose her. Just like I lost you."

"Shut up, Mom. Rory's going to be fine."

"Fine! She's pregnant, Lorelai! She had sex with this… this BOY! And it's all your fault!"

As the mother and daughter began to yell hateful things to each other, Tristan's mother grabbed the bottle of wine and refilled her empty glass.

"Typical reaction, mother."

"Don't talk to your mother like that, Tristan," Janlan scolded, obviously angry with his grandson.

"Yes sir," Tristan replied through a clenched jaw.

"How could you have been so foolish?"

"I don't know, sir."

"Haven't I taught you anything about responsibility?"

Rory sat there as her mother and grandmother screamed at each other. Her father stared at Tristan with daggers in his gaze. Luke watched the whole scene in shock. Janlan yelled at Tristan for being so irresponsible. Richard screamed at everyone to shut up and said the thing that put everyone over the edge.

"They will get married. That's how it should have been dealt with the first time, and that's how we're going to deal with it this time."

That statement made everyone go into an uproar.

"Dad! She can't get married. She's only sixteen years old. We're going to get through this. She's my daughter, and I've raised her to be independent. I'm going to help Rory out, and she's not going to get married!" Lorelai yelled.

Finally, Rory had had enough.

"Shut up!" she screamed as loudly as she could.

When no one listened to her, she picked up a wineglass and threw it against the wall behind her. The glass shattered along with Rory's last nerve, and everyone became silent.

"I said, SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Everyone stared at Rory. Tears were streaming down her face, and her entire body was shaking in anger and outrage. She could barely articulate the words, and Tristan watched as she tried to control her sobbing and trembling.

"Stop yelling at Mom. She didn't do anything. It was me. I made the decision, and now I'm pregnant. I'm only sixteen years old, and I'm not getting married. Mom did it, and so can I. Please just stop yelling at each other. If you're going to yell at anyone, yell at me! I can't stand it any…"

Just then, Rory leaned forward and grabbed her stomach as she felt pain ripple through her abdomen. The pain was so intense that it completely took her breath away as she leaned forward.

"Rory, are you okay?" Tristan asked her, standing up and rubbing her back.

"Oh my God," she bawled as wave after wave hit her.

Lorelai was about to walk over to her when she saw the blood. Rory was wearing white capri pants and there was a dark red stain forming between her thighs. Tristan didn't know what to do as he heard Rory moaning in agony. Just then, he saw Lorelai staring at her legs, so he looked down, too. That's when he saw the crimson liquid quickly overtaking the crisp whiteness.

"Someone call 911," Lorelai yelled as she walked around the table to help Rory.

Luke made the call, and by then everyone knew that Rory was bleeding pretty heavily, and finally they all stopped bitching and focused on getting her to the hospital. Lorelai didn't even make it around the table before Tristan picked Rory up and carried her to the couch. He carefully set her down, and she was sobbing as the cramping continued to get worse. Sweat was trickling down her forehead, and Tristan held her hand.

"Baby, just breath and squeeze my hand as hard as you want to. The ambulance is

coming, just hang on."

Rory was hemorrhaging by that point, and the combination of blood loss and the pain began to get to her. She was crying harder than she had ever cried in her life and all she could think about was her unborn baby.

"Please save the baby. Please save the baby. Please save the baby," she bawled over and over again.

Christopher watched in horror as his little girl went through this horrible thing. There was nothing anybody could do to help her, and Tristan was already comforting her. With each desperate cry for her baby, her voice got weaker and weaker until finally she passed out.

"Mary? Mary! Oh my God. Please wake up. Rory, sweetie, just open your eyes."

Lorelai could tell he was going into panic mode and tried to take over for him. He just shook his head and tried to calm himself, but watching Rory lie here in a pool of blood just made him sick. It was his fault she was like this. If he had put on a fucking condom, she wouldn't be hurting this much. He had hurt her and knowing that made him want to curl up in a hole somewhere. Tristan knew he couldn't fall apart, though. He had to be strong for Rory. The paramedics burst through the front door at that moment and began asking questions.

"How far along is she?"

"Six weeks." Tristan answered in a daze.

"Has she been under any stress, lately?"

"She's sixteen and pregnant. What do you think?" he answered, sarcastically.

The paramedics quickly loaded her onto a stretcher and wheeled her out to the ambulance, while the rest of Rory and Tristan's family watched on.

"Can I come with her?" Tristan asked, miserably.

"Are you her husband or a blood relative?" the paramedic asked.

"No, but I'm the baby's father."

"I'm sorry, but it's hospital policy that only a blood relative or a husband can ride."

Lorelai squeezed Tristan's shoulder and climbed into the ambulance, leaving Tristan to stare as his girlfriend's mother took her lifeless hand. Then, in fury at everything Tristan spun around and walked back into the mansion. He began to search his pockets, but he couldn't find his car keys.

"Where are my keys?" he asked.

Janlan tried to calm him down. "Tristan, maybe it's not the best idea for you to be driving right now."

"Where are my fucking keys! I have to get to the hospital, NOW!" he screamed, as his hands began to shake.

Finally, he remembered which pocket they were in and pulled them out as he ran towards his car. Janlan rolled his eyes at his grandson's stupidity. There was no way he'd make it to the hospital alive if he were to drive in the state he was in. Christopher gritted his teeth, but knew he had to go after the kid. Luke saw Christopher go after him and knew Chris wouldn't be in any condition to drive, either.

Tristan's hand shook so badly that he couldn't even unlock the door of his car, let alone drive anywhere.

"Hey. Why don't you stop being an ass and give me the keys so I can drive."

"Why should you drive? You're her father."

"You're right. I probably shouldn't, but you definitely shouldn't. You've had a stressful fucking week. Trust me, I was in your shoes 17 years ago. You are in no condition to drive."

"Why don't both of you shut the hell up and give me the keys. Neither one of you should be driving," Luke stated.

Tristan finally relented, but only because he knew that arguing with these men wouldn't get him to Rory any faster. He needed to make sure she was all right. Stories of women dying in childbirth and pregnancy made him almost break down. Christopher saw Tristan's shoulders begin to shake, and he began to feel sorry for the kid. Sure, he hated what he had done to Rory, but looking at Tristan was like looking into a mirror of the past.

Christopher put his hand on his shoulder and told him to let it out. Tristan was almost relieved to be given permission to cry. He leaned forward and cried as hard as he had ever cried in his life. Luke hated feeling sorry for the kid, but it was hard not to. He was sitting there sobbing and looking so alone. Then, Luke realized why he felt sorry for him. His family wasn't that great, so he had no support through any of this. His mother was obviously an alcoholic, his father hadn't even bothered to show up, and his grandfather seemed very strict.

Finally, Tristan's sobs calmed down, and he sniffled and rubbed his face with his hands. He'd needed a good cry for years, and he let everything out in those ten minutes. Now, he'd be able to be strong for Rory. No matter what happened. Luke pulled the car up to the hospital and let Tristan and Christopher out before going to park.

Slowly, the two of them walked through the doors into the emergency room. They had no idea what was going to happen and the uncertainty made Tristan want to hurl. Christopher felt sad that he hadn't been around more. Maybe this whole mess could have been avoided. Then, he realized that Rory had made a choice, and no matter what that choice was, it was her right to make. He had made the choice and if he hadn't, she wouldn't be here.

Tristan walked up to the counter and took a deep breath. "We're here to see Rory Gilmore."

A/N: Dun Dun Dun. What's going to happen next? The quicker you review the quicker you find out! Muahahahahaha!


	13. One Is the Loneliest Number

**Disclaimer:** Gilmore Girls isn't mine. I use the characters in my own evil plots. Etc. Etc. You all know the drill, so don't sue me.

**A/N:** Thanks a million for the reviews/encouragement. I hope yall are enjoying the story so far. If not, then you don't have to read it! Hehe. A big shout out goes to Christi, my wonderful beta! Huggles to you for all your help!

**Rating:** PG-13

**Chapter 13:** One is the Loneliest Number

**3 p.m. Saturday **

Sounds slowly began to work their way into Rory's subconscious as she began to emerge from her almost comatose state. Her eyes were still closed, but she could hear beeps and buzzes all around her. Voices began speaking, but she couldn't understand any of them. They sounded like Charlie Brown's teacher to her. The noises slowly began to get louder and more distinct, and Rory's eyes cracked open. She looked around and saw that she was in a hospital room. An IV was hooked up to her hand, dripping some liquid into her, and she was hooked up to several monitors. They were causing the beeping and buzzing she heard when she first awoke.

Glancing to her right, she noticed that she was not alone. In the chair next to her, Tristan was fast asleep. He looked disturbed even in his sleep, and worry was etched into his usual mischievous, carefree face. To Rory, he looked older. Much older. Even in sleep, his entire aura gave off a sense of sadness but also strong protectiveness.

Then a thought hit Rory. Why was she in the hospital? The night before was a blur to her. She remembered crying and screaming. Faces of her grandparents filtered through her head, but she couldn't make sense of any of it. What had happened?

**8 p.m. Friday **

Tristan and Chris were told to wait in the waiting room because the doctors were still working on Rory. Tristan begged to be taken to her, but the nurse apologized and said that it was against hospital policy. Lorelai was already in the waiting room and obviously a nervous wreck.

"What happened to Rory?" Tristan asked her quickly.

"I don't know," she said, quietly. "They tried to stop the bleeding, but it just wouldn't stop. By the time we reached the hospital, she had lost so much blood. I don't know what's going to happen to her."

Lorelai broke into a sob at the end, and Tristan had never felt fear like he was feeling at that moment. Rory could die. His Mary. The girl he loved could be dead because of him. Instead of crying, he reverted back into his old ways. He shut everyone out and went into a corner by himself and just sat there brooding in a stony silence.

That's the scene that Luke walked in on. Chris and Lorelai were crying and Tristan was sitting angrily in a corner by himself. There wasn't enough money on the planet to get him to say anything to Tristan. Luke had no idea what he was going through, and he decided that space was the best thing he could give to the kid. He felt awkward about walking up to the heartbroken parents, but that was much better than the alternative. Lorelai had her head on Chris' shoulder, so Luke sat on the other side of her and gave her hand a little squeeze. Lorelai didn't even turn to look at him, but she squeezed his hand back.

Richard, Emily, Janlan, and Carol DuGrey arrived at the hospital only a few moments later. They asked immediately how Rory was doing, and Lorelai sniffled and told them. The new arrivals took a seat next to Lorelai and Christopher, and knew all they could do was wait for someone to tell them more information. One glance at Tristan kept them at a distance.

In Tristan's head, all he could think about was Rory and their baby. Sure he wasn't thrilled at the prospect of becoming a father, but he hadn't really had a chance to get used to the idea. They would have had enough money, so it really wouldn't have been that bad. If the baby looked anything like Rory it would be beautiful. He just hoped that they would both be okay. Tristan didn't know how long he sat in that corner, but suddenly he could feel someone's presence approaching his solitary corner.

"Tristan, would you like something to eat?" Lorelai asked.

Tristan slowly came into focus, realizing that Lorelai was waiting on an answer of some sort. He had no idea what she had said, but he couldn't say anything. Hearing her voice, and seeing those eyes. They were the same eyes that Rory had when she wanted something. A tear slid down his cheek when he finally answered.

"What did you say? I didn't hear you. Or I was in my own world. I don't know."

Lorelai's heart actually went out to the kid. Sure she had hated him, but her daughter loved him and she could tell that he loved her.

"I asked if you wanted something to eat."

Tristan thought for a second. "I'm not really hungry. What time is it?"

Lorelai glanced at the clock hanging behind Tristan's head and replied, "Almost 2 a.m."

They arrived at the hospital at 8 o'clock, so Tristan quickly calculated that they had been there for six hours and not one person had come through the swinging doors to tell them what was happening to Rory.

"It's been six hours," he almost whispered.

"I know."

Tristan looked into Lorelai's eyes and her heart almost broke. "I'm scared."

This boy that Lorelai hated just hours ago now made her almost fall in love with him with those two little words. Silently, Lorelai wrapped her arms around him, and he accepted her warm embrace gratefully. Christopher watched the exchange and knew Lorelai had come to the same conclusion about Tristan as he had. The boy was one of them; a product of two rich parents who wanted a child to brag about. They both pitied Tristan because he was like a mirror into the past.

During their tender moment, a doctor finally appeared to speak to Rory's family. Tristan spotted him first and stiffened in Lorelai's arms. Lorelai took that as a hint to pull away, and as she did, she noticed the doctor as well.

"Hello, I'm Rory Gilmore's doctor. Are her parents here?"

Lorelai and Christopher stood up to follow the doctor. Tristan's face fell as he watched them follow the doctor, but Lorelai stopped and motioned for Tristan to follow them. He sighed in relief and stood up, nervously to find out about his girlfriend and their unborn child.

3 p.m. Saturday 

Tristan had only been asleep for a couple of hours when he felt the bed shifting. He really didn't want to open his eyes, but something in his head told him he better. As his eyes cracked open he saw that Rory was awake. Her face was still very white, but her bright blue eyes surveyed the hospital room. Finally, they rested on Tristan, and she smiled when she saw that he was awake.

"Rory, you're awake," he said, quietly.

He quickly sat up and winced as he moved a very stiff neck.

"Yeah, how long was I out?" she asked, innocently.

"Uh, 20 hours or so."

"Wow. So how long were you out?" Rory asked, sleepily.

"A couple of hours."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Go back to sleep. I didn't mean to wake you up. I just woke up, and I didn't know why I was here. What happened yesterday?"

Tristan froze. He knew she didn't know anything that happened once they got to the hospital, but she didn't remember anything. He took a deep breath and began to tell the story. This was the hardest thing he had ever done in his entire life, but it was his responsibility. Tristan didn't know if he'd be able to get through it without crying, but he was sure as hell going to try.

**2 a.m. Saturday **

The doctor looked at the three people and took a deep breath. He was used to telling bad news, but in a way it never got easier. Every time he saw the flicker of hope twist into smoke, his heart broke a little. Over the years, he had built up a callus on that break, but it still hurt.

"My name is Dr. Wyatt. When Miss Gilmore arrived here, her body had already begun to reject the fetus. Stress and her young age contributed to the rejection, and then her young body just didn't know how to stop the bleeding. She lost quite a lot of blood, but luckily we were able to stop the bleeding. I'm very sorry, but she had a miscarriage. You may see her, now, but she's still unconscious."

Lorelai barely mustered up the courage to speak, but she had to know. "Does she know?"

The doctor shook his head. "If you would like me to be the one to tell her, I will."

"No," Tristan said, fiercely. "I'll do it."

The doctor nodded his head and left the three of them to stand there wondering what to do. A moment later, a nurse came by and took them to see Rory. As Tristan entered her hospital room, he saw her fragile, broken body lying in the bed. She looked so small. Lost among the monitors and blankets. Her face was ghostly white, and she almost blended in with the bed, except for her dark hair.

"Oh my baby," Lorelai sobbed, lifting her daughter's lifeless hand. "This shouldn't be happening to her. She's too young to deal with this."

Christopher put his hands on Lorelai's shoulders and gave them a quick squeeze. She let out a strangled wail and stood up.

"I can't be here, right now."

"Lorelai?" Christopher called, following her out of the room.

That left Tristan alone with Rory. The mother of his lost child. He hated himself at that moment. There must have been a way for him to save their baby. Save Rory all of this pain. She took the burden of the situation on herself. Tristan should have done something. Been more supportive. A tear trickled down his cheek, and Tristan sat down on Rory's bed and took her small, cold hand in his own.

"Rory, sweetie. I'm so sorry this happened. I'm so sorry you had to go through this alone. I wanted to be here with you. I swear I tried, but they wouldn't let me. Mary, I'm so sorry," he sobbed.

He leaned forward and kissed her, softly. He placed his hands on either side of her face and gave her the sweetest, most tender kiss. When he pulled away, he half expected her eyes to flutter open like sleeping beauty. Unfortunately, her eyelids remained shut tight. Tristan didn't know much at the moment; his entire world had turned upside down, but at that moment he knew one thing.

"I love you, Mary. I love you with all my heart. Please wake up."

"Lorelai, stop!" Christopher called.

His high school sweetheart spun around and faced him.

"I just can't look at her, okay."

"I know it's hard, but our little girl needs you. She's always needed you."

"It's all my fault. I put too much stress on her. She lost her baby because of me. I killed my own grandchild."

"What?" Christopher replied, completely confused.

"I pushed her away. I walked in on her taking the pregnancy test and I went ballistic. I pushed her away, and she didn't tell me how stressed out she was feeling. She didn't tell me because I was the cause of all her stress. I didn't like Tristan, and she knew that. It's all my fault."

Christopher grabbed Lorelai and held her as she sobbed.

"Listen to me, Lor. You are the best mom in the world. We both know I haven't been a very good father, so you've had to pick up my slack. You have done a wonderful job. Rory is a bright, beautiful young woman. This was not your fault. It just happened."

"It's not fair."

"I know," Christopher soothed.

**3 p.m. Saturday**

"… and then you passed out and the ambulance came. They didn't let me go, but your mother rode with you. By the time I got here, you were in the back and we didn't know anything. Finally, a doctor came out and told us that you were alright."

Rory noticed that Tristan said she was okay, but he hadn't even mentioned the baby. A tear trickled down her cheek because he didn't even have to tell her. Rory could feel the emptiness in her body. Even though she already knew, she needed Tristan to tell her. Just to make it finalized in her brain.

"Tell me."

Tristan could see the pained expression on her face, and knew in an instant that Rory had figured it out.

"Rory, honey. Our baby's gone."

Rory did not move. The tear that ran down her face was the only tear. Tristan almost shivered when he saw the cold, unfeeling facial features of the normally bubbly hyperactive girl. She didn't cry. She didn't scream. She didn't do anything.

"Mary? Babe, are you okay?"

He didn't receive any kind of response.

"Just tell me how you're feeling. Please. I promise it will make you feel better."

Rory turned her head and looked at Tristan with the coldest eyes he had ever seen. She looked at him and tilted her head to the side.

"I don't feel anything. My baby's dead. I'm all alone, and I don't care."

Tristan felt a tear slide down his cheek.

"That's not true. Rory, please tell me the truth."

A smile spread across Rory's face and she let out a dreadful laugh.

"I am. It's over. I'm not going to be a mother anymore. It doesn't matter at all! Don't you see? It doesn't matter!"

"What doesn't matter? I don't understand. Mary, why are you being like this."

Just then, a nurse entered the room. In her arms was a little pink bundle. Tristan looked appalled as the nurse brought the baby into the room and walked over to where Rory sat, looking shell-shocked.

"Okay, Ms. Roddy. You're baby girl is hungry. Now to breast feed you…"

Tristan cut her off. "No, that's not our baby."

"What do you mean? It says room 315 on her bracelet."

"Well there's obviously some sort of mistake. My girlfriend just had a miscarriage."

The nurse was horrified by her mistake and apologized quickly, turning to leave the room. The entire time, Rory had stared at the baby. She tuned out the nurse and Tristan and just focused on the little life in the snuggly blanket. Some woman had just given birth to this little tiny thing, and Rory's baby had just died. Her indifference disappeared, and in it was replaced with pure anger.

"Rory what are you doing?"

Rory didn't answer as she got out of bed. Tristan tried to stop her as she took her IV out, but she just pushed him away from her. He called after her, but she ignored him and waddled down the hall. She made it into the waiting room, and there she saw her parents, Luke, her grandparents, Sookie, Lane, and Tristan's grandfather.

"Rory? What are you doing out of bed?" Luke asked her, concerned.

"I… I… I…" she began, but tears threatened to fall.

Everyone watched in horror as her face crumpled into sobs.

"My baby's dead. It's not fair."

Tristan walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her, but she pushed him away from her.

"You don't understand!" she screamed.

"Baby, I'm hurting, too."

"Not like me! You didn't have our baby growing inside of you. You don't understand. Nobody understands. I'm all alone, now. I just feel so…. Empty. So hollow. How could my baby be taken away from me? I wanted to keep it."

"I know," Tristan said, quietly.

He reached for her again, and this time she just stood there and let him hold her. Rory put her head on his shoulder and wailed. Tristan scooped her into his arms and carried her to a chair in the waiting room and rocked her back and forth as she cried herself to sleep. When her breathing finally evened out, Tristan picked her up and carried her back to her room. He refused to fall apart until after she was safely tucked in. Then… he cried.

**A/N:** What did you think? I know a lot of you wanted the baby to be okay, but for this story, I wanted to go in a different direction. I've only read one other miscarriage story, so I thought this would be different. Please review!


	14. Come What May

**Disclaimer:** Do you really think I could own an entire show? Please.

**A/N:** I know I pissed some people off with the last chapter, but let me explain. I want my story to be original and teenage pregnancies often end in miscarriages, so it was also realistic. Thank you to everyone who sent me such encouraging feedback. And a special thanks to my beta, Christi!

**Rating:** PG-13

**Chapter 14:** Come What May

Tristan wiped his eyes and looked at the sleeping angel beside him. Rory cried over the loss of her baby in front of the entire waiting room, and he felt relieved that she finally let out all of her emotions. Bottling feelings is a dangerous game, especially after a tragedy. Tristan felt much better now that he had mourned for his unborn child, but his heart still ached for Rory. She looked so small and fragile in the big hospital bed. Tear stains streaked her face, and her eyes were puffy and red.

She looked so hurt that he wanted to hold her until everything went away. To be honest, he wanted to hold her to erase the pain in his heart. Slowly, he eased into her bed and wrapped his arms around her. In her uneasy sleep, she hugged him back and placed her head on his chest. Tristan felt stronger just by feeling her body heat. Suddenly the most insane song popped into his head. It was from Moulin Rouge, which was a total chick flick, but his guilty pleasure. No one knew that it was one of his favorite movies.

_Never knew, I could feel like this_

_Like I've never seen the sky before_

_One advantage inside your kiss_

_Is every day I love you more and more_

_Listen to my heart can you hear it say_

_Telling me to give you everything_

_Seasons may change_

_Winter to spring_

_But I love you_

_Until my dying day_

_Come what may_

_Come what may_

_I will love you until my dying day_

_Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place_

_Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace_

_Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste_

_It all revolves around you_

_There are no mountains too high_

_No rivers too wide_

"What are you singing?" Rory asked, quietly.

"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's okay. I've slept enough for the next six months."

Tristan smiled, weakly.

"You never told me what you were singing," Rory said.

"Oh it's nothing. Just a song I was thinking about."

Suddenly, Rory was intrigued. "Ooo, it must be something you're embarrassed about, otherwise you'd just tell me. By the way, you have a beautiful singing voice."

"Oh thanks, and I'm not embarrassed."

"Oh really? Then why won't you tell me?"

"No reason," Tristan replied, kissing Rory on the top of her head.

"Fine," Rory sighed.

It was so nice to be talking about something besides **IT**. _That thing. The horrible incident._ Then, Rory's mother knocked on the door and walked into the room. The pity in her eyes reminded the couple about everything. They hadn't forgotten, but they had been able to push it out of their minds for a couple of brief minutes. Reality had come back full force, and Rory felt like the wind had been knocked out of her.

"Hey babe. Tristan. Can I get you anything?"

Lorelai was itching to talk to Rory. She needed to apologize. She needed to make sure Rory was okay. Mostly, she just wanted to hug her. Tristan could see that Lorelai wanted to be with Rory, so he began to get off the bed. Rory could feel him start to move away. All of a sudden, she felt the same way she felt when she found out that she lost her baby. Alone. Empty. Hollow. She wasn't going to lose anybody else, so she clung to Tristan. He seemed surprised at her sudden gesture, and he looked deep into her eyes and saw… panic, fear, and sadness.

Lorelai also saw the look Rory gave when Tristan tried to leave. She took that as a signal that Rory wasn't ready to talk, so she quietly ducked out of the door. Lorelai knew Rory would come to her when she was ready. In the meantime, she needed to draw her strength from Tristan. Lorelai accepted that and walked back to the waiting room.

"Rory?" Tristan whispered, after Lorelai left the room.

Rory didn't reply, but tears began to trickle down her cheeks. Tristan couldn't see that she was crying, though, because her head was buried in his chest and her fingers were gripping the fabric of his button down shirt.

"Rory? Honey what's wrong?"

As Rory tried to choke back the tears, a sob escaped her lips.

"Oh Mary. Please tell me what happened."

Rory sat up and looked at Tristan.

"You w-were going t-to lea-leave me."

"No I wasn't. I was just going to let you have some privacy with your mom. That's all. I was going to wait right outside the door. I would never leave you."

"O-oh. B-but I just f-felt so alone. Like y-you want-ted to leave m-me."

Just then, she erupted into sobs and Tristan pulled her close to his body. Her tiny frame shook with sobs and he held her tightly.

"Mary, sweetheart. Listen to my heartbeat. Focus on that. Just take deep breaths."

Rory listened to Tristan allowing her breathing to slowly normalized, and she just hugged him. Her hands released the cotton fabric of his shirt, and she knew what she wanted. Rory had to go home. The smell of the hospital was making her feel sick. She needed some normalcy. She needed her room. Her house. Her movies.

"Tristan?"

"Yeah, babe."

"Can you get my mom? I need to talk to her."

Tristan smiled and nodded. "I'm going to get her and then wait right outside the door, okay?"

Rory smiled, softly. "Okay. I'm alright, now."

Tristan slowly rose and walked towards the door. As he reached for the door, he glanced back at his girlfriend to make sure she would be okay. She gave a half smile at him, and he left her hospital room.

Rory felt very cold after Tristan shut the heavy door behind him. The walls began to almost close in around her, and her breathing became erratic. Her hands began shaking and she almost started to hyperventilate. Then, the door opened again. Her mother gracefully entered, and Rory's panic attack disappeared as suddenly as it had started.

"Hey babe. Are you okay? Do you need anything?" Lorelai asked, seeing her daughter's panic.

"I'm fine, Mom. Okay, that's a lie. I'm not fine. But, I will be fine."

"I'm so sorry, Rory."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Rory told her mother, truthfully.

"I wish I could believe that, but I feel so guilty…"

Rory cut her off, "Do not feel guilty. The doctor explained it to me. It was nobody's fault; the entire situation was too stressful for my body to handle."

"But if I had been more supportive…"

"It wouldn't have made a difference. I was almost relieved you found out. I think telling you would have been harder than you walking in on me taking the test would. I stressed myself out, Mom. Plus, my body isn't fully developed, yet, and that can also affect a pregnancy."

"Okay, kid," Lorelai said, and she gave Rory a hug.

Rory held onto her like she would die without her mother's warmth. Then, she thought about what she wanted to ask her mother. She knew it was a big deal, but she hoped her mother would do her the favor.

"Mom. I would like something."

"What, sweetie. Anything you want."

Rory took a deep breath. "I want to go home."

"But the doctor said…"

"I don't care what the doctor said. I'm tired of this hospital. I just want to be in a familiar place, with familiar smells. I want Luke to fix me some mashed potatoes, like when I got chicken pox. I just want to go home."

Lorelai looked into her daughters deep blue eyes and saw the pain and anguish in them. This place wasn't doing her any good. Slowly, Rory saw her mother grab the call button and she pressed it.

"Babe. I told you I'd do anything you want. If you want to go home, I'll get you home."

Rory smiled. It was the first genuine smile she'd had on her face in weeks. It felt so good to see her face light up that Lorelai knew she was doing the right thing. The nurse came in a minute and asked what was wrong.

"Uh, we're going to need some discharge papers," Lorelai told the nurse.

"What? The doctor wanted to keep Rory under observation for a couple of days."

"I know, but I promise she'll be kept supervised, and we'll bring her back in if anything happens, but my daughter would like to go home."

"Okay, ma'am. You'll have to sign some AMA papers."

"AMA?" Lorelai questioned.

"Against Medical Advice."

"Okay, that'll be fine."

Tristan stood in the doorway and was surprised at what he was hearing. Rory wanted to go home. It did make sense, but at the same time he was kind of scared to take her out of here. This place was safe and could handle her if she had another meltdown. What about at home? What if she left? What if she hurt herself?

"Tristan, earth to Tristan."

Snapping back to attention, he looked at Lorelai. "What?"

"I asked if you would go to the small store across the street and buy Rory some clothes."

"Oh sure. What does she need?"

"Oh my God, I've lost my head. Sorry. You stay with Rory, and I'll buy the clothes. It's not like you know her sizes."

"Actually I do. We went shopping once…" Tristan tried to explain, but Lorelai had already vanished.

"So it's just you and me, kid," Rory said.

"I guess so. Are you sure you want to go home?"

"I've never been more sure about anything in my entire life. I hate hospitals."

"Well, as soon as your mom comes back, I'm going to have to hurry home in order to get some stuff."

"What stuff?" Rory asked, anxiously.

She didn't think he'd leave until after she got home. The thought of having to deal with her miscarriage without Tristan seemed unbearable, and tears began to gather in her eyes.

"You know, toothbrush, pajamas, a few changes of clothes. Stuff like that. You don't expect me to borrow your clothes while I'm staying at your house."

"Staying? You're not going to leave me?"

"Of course not, babe. I'd never leave you," Tristan whispered.

Slowly, he leaned forward and placed a soft, sweet kiss on her lips. The tears she had been holding back slowly fell down her cheeks, and Tristan felt them on his cheeks. As he kissed her, he used his thumbs to wipe the sad droplets from their faces. At first they were only her tears, but as they held each other the tears mixed together into a river of loss and despair. But there was still hope. Hope that somehow they'd come through this awfulness with strength.

**A/N:** Did you like it? Did you hate it? I know there was A LOT of fluff. What can I say? I love a little sap. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW please please pretty please with a big red cherry on top!


	15. Click Your Heels, 'Cause There's No

**Disclaimer:** Gilmore Girls isn't mine. I do not claim to own any of its characters or plotlines. I just use them for my own insane storylines.

**A/N:** Hello my lovely reviewers. I'm terribly sorry for the wait on this chapter. I have been going through some personal problems and haven't really been in the mood to write. My life is much better, now, and I actually have a desire to continue with this chapter. Yay! Oh, and I would like to thank Christi for all her support and help.

**Rating:** PG-13

**Chapter 15:** Click Your Heels, 'Cause There's No Place Like Home 

Lorelai stood in the doorway holding Rory's new clothes and just watched the young teenagers. They weren't really kids anymore. This event would forever change their lives, and Lorelai was saddened by that fact. Her Rory would never be the same sweet, bubbly girl. She would always harbor the pain and loss of her unborn child. It would never go away. Tristan kissed her daughter with tenderness. She understood why Rory felt so strongly for him. He obviously loved her. Even the careful way he brushed Rory's hair out of her face was dripping with warmth and affection. 

The two lovers were unaware of the bright blue eyed woman watching them. They clung to each other without speaking, holding each other in a tight embrace. Tristan placed light, butterfly kisses all over Rory's face, caressing her skin and wiping the stray tears that fell from her sapphire eyes. Rory knew in that moment that he loved her. Even if he never said the words, Rory could feel it radiating from his soul. He was hurting just as much as she was. 

Lorelai decided against interrupting them, so she quietly shut the door. At that moment, Emily rushed up to her, raving mad, startling all three. 

"Lorelai. What is going on? _That _nurse just informed me that Rory's leaving. The doctor said he was going to observe her overnight. What happened? Why is she going home, Lorelai?" 

Rory sighed in Tristan's arms. Their intimate moment had been spoiled by none other than her grandmother. Lorelai tried to close the door, but Rory knew she had to explain to her grandmother that she wanted to go home. 

"It's okay, Mom. Grandma, I decided to leave early. Mom signed some papers to have me discharged sooner." 

"What?" Emily screamed. "How could you sign the papers, Lorelai?" 

Rory got angry at her grandmother. She was blaming her mother, AGAIN, for Rory's decision. Rory was sick of it, so just like before, she stood up and told her grandmother exactly why she wanted to go home. She told her mother that she wanted to leave because she was sick of the hospital. Rory left out the part about why she was sick of the hospital. 

"Grandma! Stop yelling at Mom! I made the decision to leave because I'm sick of the hospital. I hate this place. This is the place where I learned that my baby died and being here makes me think about that constantly. Having doctors poking and prodding me hurts like you wouldn't believe, and I'm sick of the hospital because every damn minute a baby is born here, and they announce it by playing that stupid song. And all I can think about is how my baby never got the song played. Because my baby is dead!" 

Emily was shell shocked, but at that moment the worst possible thing happened. A few notes from "Hush Little Baby" played through the speaker overhead. Lorelai and Tristan were horrified, and Rory grimaced the entire time it played. 

"There's that damn song, again. Mom, could I please have my clothes." 

Emily quickly left the room, followed by Lorelai. Tristan stood awkwardly by the door, not knowing what to do. Did Rory want her privacy? Did she need help? He looked at her pleadingly, but Rory didn't even notice his presence. She reached for the ties on her hospital gown, and began to pull on the strings. She couldn't reach the one in the middle of her back, so Tristan slowly walked up to her and gave the string a small yank. 

"Thank you," Rory whispered. 

Tristan watched as Rory pulled off the hospital gown. The fluorescent lights shown on her pale, naked flesh making her look angelic. Tristan could see that the physical exertion was exhausting her, so he took the clothes from the bag and began to dress her. She felt strange and exposed, just lying naked in front of him, but at the same time it was comforting to be able to show such vulnerability to someone else instead of maintaining her strong facade. 

He helped Rory clasp her bra in place, but not before his mind memorized the beautiful swell of her breasts. Her body was a piece of art. Her curves flowed perfectly together and made a magnificent masterpiece. Her T-shirt went over her head, and Rory disappeared from his view for a second. All at once, her arms and face re-emerged, and Tristan couldn't hold back any longer. He leaned forward and kissed Rory. The kiss was passionate and filled with every wonderfully horrid feeling the last couple of days stirred up inside of him. 

The kiss was full of their painful loss. The kiss represented his undying love to her that he just couldn't express while she was awake and yearning for him to say it. The kiss held the loss of innocence this tragedy had brought upon them both. But above all things, the kiss represented their desire to move forward from this. They would never forget, but they needed to continue their lives. That would be the hardest thing for either of them to do. They broke apart to breathe, and Rory looked into Tristan's eyes. She said the one thing that he needed to hear, but had no right to expect her to say. 

"It's all going to be okay." 

Tristan hated to cry, especially in front of other people. His father had always taught him that crying showed weakness. The stress had built up and he fell to his knees and buried his head into Rory's lap and wept. He had shed a few tears for his child, but he had held back for Rory's sake. She despised seeing Tristan hurting this bad, but it was slightly comforting to know that she wasn't truly alone. Sure, she felt like the only person in the world who knew what she was going through, but Tristan had lost his child, too. 

Tristan sobbed into Rory's lap, and Rory ran her fingers through his hair. He let out all his frustration, anger, pain, and sadness. His breathing slowly returned to normal, and he raised his head up to look into Rory's tear-filled eyes. Rory had been able to control herself while his head was buried in her legs, but the dams in her eyes broke when his blue eyes met hers. She didn't sob. Rory just wiped the few tears from her cheeks and then reached down to wipe Tristan's, as well. 

"See, Tristan. It's all going to be okay." 

Ten minutes later, a fully dressed Rory, and a very puffy-eyed Tristan exited her hospital room. The nurse urged Rory to sit in the wheelchair, which she obeyed. The few steps from her bed to the hall had made her weak legs shake, so the wheelchair was a welcome sight. As the nurse began to push her out of the hospital, Rory saw her dad, Luke, and her grandparents all sitting in the waiting room. Tristan's grandfather and mother had left after Rory's breakdown because they 'didn't want to interfere.' 

Emily kept her mouth shut in a tight line and watched as they wheeled her granddaughter outside. Luke and Christopher rushed over to her and looked at her intently, as if to make sure she hadn't broken. Luke still had Tristan's car keys, so he volunteered to pull the car around. As he left, an intern ran up and handed Lorelai a bag. His beeper went off before he could tell Lorelai what was in the bag, and he scurried off to do his minion duties. 

Lorelai opened the bag, wondering out loud what was inside. If she had thought it through, she never would have opened the bag. She screamed when she saw the blood, and the small plastic bag dropped from her hands. Its contents spilled out, and the exhausted couple stared in horror. Rory's "white" Capri pants were completely red, and had been cut right down the middle. Her floral print, cotton panties were drenched in blood. Even her loose-fitted green blouse was smeared with blood from where people had touched her pants and then touched her stomach. 

"Oh my God!" Rory screamed in agony, quickly shutting her eyes and looking away. 

Lorelai thought quickly and used the bag to scoop up all of the clothes and closed it tight. Rory refused to open her eyes, and a couple of tears squeezed out from where her eyelids met. Tristan grabbed her hand and squeezed it. After seeing the clothes Rory was wearing, it brought him right back to where he was when Rory grabbed her stomach. 

He remembered the fear he felt when he saw the blood seeping from her womb. The blood was gushing out, but he had pushed that part of the ordeal out of his mind. His thoughts were centered on how he felt when the doctor told everyone the news. The pure panic he felt when Rory passed out shook him to the core. Obviously, Rory was reliving the painful memories as well. 

When Rory didn't respond to Tristan's touch, he knelt beside her and hummed, quietly, while caressing her face. 

"Come on Rory. It's going to be okay. I promise you that we'll get through this." 

He then whispered, "together," in a voice only audible to Rory. 

The others wondered what he was saying to her, but whatever it was, it worked. Rory opened up her eyes and gave a weak smile. Tristan returned her smile and rubbed his nose against Rory's, giving her an Eskimo kiss. Christopher watched the exchange with interest. He felt like the group was intruding on an intimate moment. It wasn't the normal teenage gesture. This was different. Their actions towards one another had been taken to another level. Each touch and word was meant to be comforting and loving. Christopher actually teared up just watching how much the two loved each other. If his little girl had to fall in love with someone, he was glad it was Tristan. 

"Rory, sweetie. I'm sorry I can't stay longer, but I know you're in good hands. I'm so sorry," Christopher said and gave Rory a big hug. "I'll try to visit in another couple of weeks, and I'll call you every day." 

"It's okay, Dad. I understand," Rory replied, sincerely. 

It would be great if her dad could stay, but she was okay without him. It was an awful fact, but it was true. Rory loved her father, but he hadn't been much of a father to her. Besides, she had Tristan, Luke, and Lorelai to help her get through. Rory watched her father climb into the cab and sighed. 

"We better be leaving , too," Richard said, sadly. 

He gave Rory a kiss and gave his condolences. Emily had stood beside Richard, coldly, and had every intention of leaving without saying one word to Rory. That is, until she saw the clothes spill out of the bag. When Rory was screaming in pain, Emily was terrified. She thought Rory was going to die, and seeing the clothes put her pettiness aside. All she wanted was the best for her granddaughter. Emily sucked up her pride and embraced Rory, whispering in her ear the sweetest words she had ever said to her granddaughter. 

"I love you, Rory. All I want is for you to be happy. I'm so sorry for the part I played in this, and I promise you it will not happen again. I hope someday you will be able to forgive me." 

As Emily pulled away, both grandmother and granddaughter had tears shining in their eyes. 

"I love you, too, Grandma," Rory said quietly, barely able to choke back her sobs. 

As her grandparents left the entrance to the hospital, Luke pulled Tristan's car around and Lorelai pushed Rory's wheelchair towards the curb. While Tristan comforted Rory, Lorelai had discarded the bloody clothes in a nearby trashcan. Why the intern had given her the bag still remained a mystery. 

Tristan scooped Rory into his arms and placed her in the backseat. He climbed in after her, and let her lay her head in his lap. Rory sighed as she smelt the familiar smell of Tristan's car. His scent inhabited the car, and it was a comfort to Rory who was disgusted by the sterile smell of the hospital. 

"Do you mind if we stop by my house, so I can pack a bag?" Tristan asked Rory. 

"Not at all," Rory said, relieved that he wasn't going to leave her later to do that. 

Tristan lived five minutes from the hospital, so in no time they pulled up to his house. Tristan groaned inwardly when he noticed the light on in his father's study. He did not want a confrontation with his father, because that usually ended with him being knocked into a wall. Luckily, Tristan had a "secret passage" that led to his bedroom. That was code for the trellis outside of his window. 

He felt it best not to tell anyone. Rory didn't need his family troubles on top of her emotional vulnerability. He had climbed up that trellis countless times. The trick was getting past the view from his father's study. Fortunately, his father's desk faced the opposite way, so he would most likely not be seen. Luke was confused when he saw Tristan go past his front door and begin to climb up the side of the mansion. 

"Uh, does he live here?" 

"What do you mean?" Rory asked, sleepily. 

"I mean, is this your boyfriend's house?" 

"Yes. Of course it's his house. Why?" 

"Because if this is his house, then why is he climbing up the side of the house like a burglar?" Luke asked. 

Rory was puzzled and she sat up, slightly, and saw what Luke was talking about. She tried to come up with a conceivable reason as to why Tristan would be climbing up a trellis to his own house. 

"I have no idea." 

Once Tristan had packed his bag as quietly as he possibly could, he began his descent. He could hardly believe his luck when he reached the ground without being seen. Quickly, he ran back to his car and climbed into the back seat. Three sets of eyes were on him as he settled himself in. 

"What?" he asked. 

"Uh, why were you climbing up the trellis to your own house?" Rory asked. 

"Oh, I was just practicing for our balcony scene, Juliet." 

"Seriously. What was that?" 

"I am being serious," Tristan said, lightheartedly. 

Rory gave him a look, and he decided to tell her the truth. 

"Fine. I was trying to avoid seeing my father. If I walked in the front door, he may have ignored me, but I didn't want to take a chance." 

"Oh." 

"Yeah." 

Tristan stroked Rory's hair as they drove towards Stars Hollow. He saw a soft smile grace her lips when the car began driving along the familiar streets. Luke parked the car in the driveway of the Gilmore house, and Tristan lifted Rory effortlessly into his arms and carried her across the threshold. Luke grabbed Tristan's bag for him, and all four entered the house. Rory inhaled the familiar smell and took in all the familiar sights. When she left this very place, she was pregnant and on her way to tell her grandparents. Now, as she looked around the room, she was no longer pregnant, but she had gained something from the horrible experience. She knew she was strong enough to survive anything. It felt good to be home, again. 

**A/N:** I really hope you enjoyed this installment of He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not. Please review, because it really helps me improve my writing. If you did not like this chapter, please inform me of your reasons. I really appreciate every single person who reads this story. Thank you. 


	16. The White Dress, Stained Red

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Gilmore Girls, so don't sue me… or I'll sue you first.

**A/N:** Hey there guys and gals! Thanks for all the reviews… they total OVER 400, now!!! I really appreciate all your support. Please keep them coming. Thank Christi for perfecting this chapter, I know I do!

**Chapter 16:** The White Dress, Stained Red

Previously:

Tristan stroked Rory's hair as they drove towards Stars Hollow. He saw a soft smile grace her lips when the car began driving along the familiar streets. Luke parked the car in the driveway of the Gilmore house, and Tristan lifted Rory effortlessly into his arms and carried her across the threshold. Luke grabbed Tristan's bag for him, and all four entered the house. Rory inhaled the familiar smell and took in all the familiar sights. When she left this very place, she was pregnant and on her way to tell her grandparents. Now, as she looked around the room, she was no longer pregnant, but she had gained something from the horrible experience. She knew she was strong enough to survive anything. It felt good to be home, again.

**Saturday Night 9:00pm**

Lorelai rustled through the linen closet to find some extra blankets. They were stacked six inches above her finger tips. She sighed, summoning all the strength she had left in her exhausted body, jumped, and made a grab for the blanket. Unfortunately, as she pulled the blanket, a Frisbee and four cans of silly string fell from on top of the blanket. Lorelai sighed, kicked the Frisbee and silly string back into the closet, and shut the door.

"Tristan, here's a blanket. There are plenty of pillows on the couch," Lorelai told him, which was her way of saying, 'You're sleeping on the couch. Period. No ifs ands or buts about it.'

"Thanks, Lorelai."

"Well, it's been a long couple of days," Lorelai said to the two teens, who were lounging on the couch. "I'm ready to go to bed. Tristan, will you help Rory to her room?"

"Of course," Tristan told his girlfriend's mother.

Lorelai sighed. "Good night, baby girl. Sleep well. Don't forget to take your medicine."

"Goodnight, Mom. I'll take my medicine."

Lorelai ascended the stairs and collapsed into bed without even change her clothes. She was dead asleep within two minutes. The stress of the weekend had taken its toll on her, and she took advantage of a good night's sleep. Downstairs, Rory and Tristan were just as exhausted as Lorelai, but they were stalling for the inevitable.

"I'm so tired," Rory told Tristan.

"Okay," Tristan replied and bent down to pick Rory up.

"No, just help me walk."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Once I'm in bed, you can bring me my medicine."

"Are you in pain?" Tristan asked, concerned.

"A little, but I don't want it to get worse."

Rory slowly made her way towards her bedroom. She leaned on Tristan and felt more fatigued with each step. After what seemed an eternity, she reached her bedroom. Tristan helped her into her twin bed and pulled the covers around her. Then, he hurried into the kitchen and pulled out her prescription pain pills. After getting one pill out of the bottle, he filled a glass of water. By the time he returned to his girlfriend's room, Rory was already asleep. He hated to wake her up, but Tristan didn't want his Mary to wake up in pain because she didn't take her medicine.

"Rory, sweetie. Wake up."

"Noooo," Rory groaned.

"I know you're sleepy, but you have to take your medicine."

Rory opened her eyes, slightly, and grabbed her medicine and water. She quickly swallowed the pill, washing it down completely, before once again closing her eyes. Tristan smiled and leaned forward. He kissed her pink, pouting lips. Rory tried to remain conscious long enough to kiss him back, but it was futile. She dropped into dreamland, leaving Tristan to watch her slumber. He carefully stood up and turned her light off. Returning to the living room, he tested out the surprisingly comfortable couch. Just as he was about to unfold the blanket, he heard a noise. Sitting up, he listened intently for it to be repeated. Tristan didn't hear anything else, so he picked up the blanket again. Then he heard another noise, much clearer than before. It was Rory crying out. He leapt off the couch and hurried towards her room. When he reached her doorway, he saw that she was still asleep.

_Rory sat in a beautiful meadow. Her long hair was in waves all down her back and there were white flowers in her hair. She wore a flowing white dress that fell just below her knees, and her feet were bare. The sun was shining, birds were singing, and a tiny pink bundle was snuggled in her arms. All her friends and family laugh and dance around her. _

"_Oh Rory, your baby is beautiful," Lane said._

"_Thank you, Lane."_

"_I want to hold her," Miss Patty pleaded._

"_No, I want to hold her, sugar" Babette laughed._

"_I want to hold her. I want to hold her. No, I want to hold her," everyone yells, circling around her._

"_You can all hold her!" Rory giggled. _

_Suddenly, the sky turned gray and rain began to fall from the sky. All her friends and family left her side. Even Tristan. Rory felt a little sad, because a second ago everyone wanted to hold her baby and now she was alone. Well, not alone; she still had her little baby girl. Rory smiled and rocked the baby. As she coddled the baby, she noticed something. The baby's face started to melt with the rain. Rory tried to cover up her face with the blanket, but it didn't work because the blanket was liquefying as well. _

_The baby turned into a red puddle of goo that ran all over Rory's perfect white dress. Rory began to scream, but no sound would escape her mouth. The rain washed the remains of her baby everywhere, and the meadow changed to Stars Hollow. Rory walked through the streets and everyone stared at her and pointed. _

"_Baby killer! Baby killer! Baby killer!" they all chanted._

"_No, I didn't mean it. It's not my fault. Please stop saying I'm a baby killer. I'm not a baby killer. I didn't mean to do it. I didn't mean to do it. Stop. Please stop!" Rory screamed._

Tristan heard her yelling those horrible things and knew that it didn't matter how much Rory claimed that she didn't blame herself; she still believed that she was truly at fault. Tristan sat on the edge of her bed and slowly tried to ease her back to reality.

"Rory, hon. Wake up. Mary, you're having a nightmare."

"It wasn't my fault. Tristan please, not you too. I didn't mean it."

Tristan was taken aback. He wanted to kick his dream-self's ass for saying that. He shook Rory, now. She had to wake up. There was no way he would let her continue in this horror. Rory opened her blue eyes and they were wide with terror. She let out a breathless scream and grabbed Tristan's shoulders. Rory buried her head in his chest and let the hot tears slide down her cheeks as she relived her nightmare.

"I was-and then you-the baby-blood everywhere-awful-I-I," Rory cried incoherently.

"Shhh," Tristan soothed. "It's okay. It'll all be okay. I'm here, and I'm going to take care of you, Rory."

"Will you-stay wi-th me?"

Tristan's heart broke when he heard Rory's timid plea.

"Of course. I'll never leave you, Rory. You have to know that I'll do anything for you."

Rory let out a few more choked sobs into his shoulder before falling back into a deep, peaceful sleep. Tristan carefully laid Rory back on the bed and settled in beside her. His exhaustion quickly caught up to him, and he joined Rory in dream world.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Sunday Morning**

Lorelai opened her eyes and groaned when she saw light. Her body was still fatigued, and her head pounded from caffeine withdrawal. Slowly, she sat up and blinked repeatedly because she forgot to take her contacts out the night before. She climbed out of bed and stumbled downstairs to check on Rory. Lorelai paused when she reached the empty couch that had obviously not been slept on. The blanket was still partially folded, and the pillows were still propped up on the arm rest. Lorelai cautiously approached Rory's bedroom door. It wasn't closed- definitely a good sign. She pushed the door open and saw the couple embracing one another on her daughter's bed.

Lorelai left the room and sat down on a kitchen chair and thought about the situation, rationally. _Both are fully clothed, and it's not like Rory could even have sex in her condition. They aren't doing anything wrong, and as much as I want to have control over their lives, I have to face the fact that in some respects, Rory is an adult now. She's mature and responsible… except for the whole pregnant thing. _Then, her irrational mind kicked in. _But she's my baby, and he's the one who broke her! If it wasn't for him, Rory would still be my virgin daughter who doesn't spend the night in dance studios. She wouldn't have gone through this horrible miscarriage. _

Before her brain could finish its duel, she heard a tapping coming from the front of the house. The tapping stopped, so she went back to mulling. When she heard it again, she decided to investigate. Once she was in the living room, she cocked her head and listened intently. The incessant tapping was coming from the front door. Why didn't whoever was on the other side of said door just ring the doorbell? An aggravated Lorelai opened the door, but her obvious annoyance subsided when she saw Luke standing there with bags of food.

"Hey Lorelai. I thought you guys could use some breakfast. I didn't want you to have to walk all the way down to the diner and then all the way back here. That just didn't make any sense, so uh I just thought I should bring you some food."

"Oh Luke. That is so sweet. Thank you," Lorelai said sincerely.

"So, uh, how's Rory doing. You know, after the, you know."

"I don't really know. We went right to bed when we got home last night. And when I woke up, I found out that they slept together all night. In Rory's bed."

"What!" Luke exploded. "Where is the punk, I'll kill him."

"Luke. Stop. I mean, I've been rationalizing it in my head. They already have had sex," Lorelai reasoned.

Luke groaned, "Don't say that. She's still the little girl I made mashed potatoes for when she got the chicken pox."

Lorelai attempted a laugh, but Luke saw that it didn't reach her eyes. "As much as we wish that were true, Rory's all groan up. And as much as we hate it, that boy is in her life, now. Rory lost their child. Not just hers. He will forever be connected to her because of that."

"Yeah. I guess you're right. Well, uh, I'm going to go. Let you get back to-yeah, good luck with that."

"Thanks," Lorelai remarked, sarcastically while taking the food from Luke.

Lorelai shut the door and returned to the kitchen just in time to catch Tristan sneaking out of Rory's room. Tristan quietly shut the door before turning around to wind up face to face with Lorelai Victoria Gilmore. Tristan almost pissed in his pants when he saw her stony face, but he stood his ground.

"She had a nightmare."

"I didn't say anything," Lorelai remarked, her tone completely unreadable.

"But you were-and the staring."

Lorelai finally threw the guy a bone. "Tristan, dear, my goal in life concerning your relationship with my daughter is to make you as uncomfortable as possible."

Tristan heard the humorous tone in her voice and felt a wave of relief. At that moment, he heard the familiar Bare Naked Ladies song playing. He ran to answer his phone and ignored the snide remarks Lorelai made about his choice of ring tone. Tristan glanced at the caller ID and saw that Billy Cranson was on the phone. He inwardly groaned. Sure Billy was his friend, but all the guy ever did was party and sleep with as many women as possible. Tristan used to be like that, but ever since he found out that Rory was pregnant, his attitude had changed. Lorelai intently eavesdropped on Tristan's end of the conversation.

"Hey Billy."

"Hey man! Where were you, yesterday?" Billy asked.

"Why?" Tristan nervously replied, wondering if there was any way Billy could have found out about Rory.

"Dude, you sound tense."

"I am, a little."

"Then you should have come to my party, yesterday! Where were you?"

The party! Tristan mentally slapped himself. Billy had told him about his bash Friday afternoon, before the awful dinner. Before the hospital. Before his baby died. Tristan snapped himself out of his thoughts and pulled an excuse out of his ass.

"Sorry man, I had a hellish weekend of my own and I totally spaced."

"Well you better not totally forget about next weekend," Billy stated.

"Uh, well."

Billy groaned, "Is it your new girlfriend? You can bring her along. She's smoking hot."

"Thanks dude, but that's really not Rory's scene."

"Oh my God, then why are you dating her?"

"Uh…" Tristan began, not sure how to answer that.

"Oh, I got it! She must be a great lay," Billy joked.

"Shit Billy! Don't ever talk about her like that."

"Okay, okay. Damn, what's your problem?"

Tristan sighed, "Nothing, okay. I'm just really tired."

"Then go take a nap. Call me as soon as you return to your normal charming self and tell me you'll come to my party," Billy complained.

"Billy, comrade, whining is not your most attractive quality."

"Shut up, dickhead," Billy remarked while hanging up on Tristan.

**A/N:** I hope you liked this chapter. I tried to lighten up the end because of all the angst at the beginning. Please review.


	17. Hell, Hell, Hell Damn, Damn, Damn

-1**Disclaimer:** Guess what? I don't own Gilmore Girls. You're shocked, right?

**A/N:** Hello my lovely reviewers. I must say that I love each and every one of you. And even if you don't review, I'm still thrilled that you've taken the time to read my little story. Well… I guess after 17 chapters it's not so little anymore lol ;) Anywho, thank Christi for improving the story with her wicked beta skills!!!

Previously:

"Oh, I got it! She must be a great lay," Billy joked.

"Shit Billy! Don't ever talk about her like that."

"Okay, okay. Damn, what's your problem?"

Tristan sighed, "Nothing, okay. I'm just really tired."

"Then go take a nap. Call me as soon as you return to your normal charming self and tell me you'll come to my party," Billy complained.

"Billy, comrade, whining is not your most attractive quality."

"Shut up, dickhead," Billy remarked while hanging up on Tristan.

**Chapter 17:** Hell, Hell, Hell. Damn, Damn, Damn.

Tristan rolled his eyes at the phone and put it back on the coffee table. An intrigued Lorelai followed him into the living room. Tristan spun around to return to the kitchen and almost ran smack into Lorelai.

"Jesus!" he yelled, startled.

"So, who was that? What did you forget? What did the mystery caller say about Rory? And when is the party?" Lorelai inquired.

"That was Billy Cranson. I forgot that his party was Saturday night. I'm not telling you what he said about Mary, but I will tell you that he'll never say it again unless he wants his teeth knocked out. And I don't know how you know we were talking about another party because I never said anything about it, but its next Saturday," Tristan replied in one breath.

"Why is he throwing two parties in a row?"

"His parents are out of town for three weeks, so he volunteered his house as the designated party spot for two weeks. I believe Josh McClellan is hosting the following week's because his parents are going to Florida."

"Interesting. I had no idea the Chilton kids could be such partiers. Are you going?"

Tristan sighed. "I don't know, yet."

"Wrong answer," Lorelai replied, glaring into Tristan's blue-green eyes.

"What?"

"You were supposed to say, 'No Lorelai, of course I'm not going to a kegger the week after…"

Rory's door swung open at that moment, shooting daggers with her eyes.

"Could you two please stop fighting? I am not in the mood to hear any of it. Mom, if Tristan wants to go to a party, I don't blame him. The past few weeks, especially this weekend, have been stressful and awful. It would be nice to just escape from it all."

Tristan was shocked at her response. He expected her to be, well, like Rory.

"Do you want to come?" he asked her, tentatively.

"No, I have three tests next week, so I'll have to study all weekend. Speaking of which, I need to study for my history quiz, tomorrow."

Lorelai gaped at Rory. "You're not planning on going to school tomorrow, are you?"

"Of course," she said. "What did you expect me to do?"

"Well I expected you to take some time off. Try to get emotionally past this."

"This. This is something I will never fully get over," Rory told her mother, a little angrily.

"Rory…"

"No, Mom, I want to go back to school," Rory said adamantly.

Lorelai conceded. "If you're sure, then I guess it's your decision, but if you change your mind…"

" I won't. Thanks Mom."

Rory gave her mom a hug and returned to her room. Tristan followed her and watched her pull out her history book and notes. She opened them up and began reading through the stack of papers. Rory tried to concentrate on the information in front of her, but it seemed so trivial. The only reason she even wanted to go to school was to avoid the looks and the questions as to why she was absent. So, even though she'd rather stay in bed for the rest of her life, she knows she has to get up and go back to Hell.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Monday Morning **

Rory felt a cramping in her lower abdomen as she opened her eyes. Glancing at her alarm, she realized she had three minutes before it began the annoying beeping. Rory gritted her teeth as the cramping worsened. The doctors told her this was normal. Since she refused the D&C, her body had to clean out her uterus on its own. She was on pain medication for the cramps as well as a dose of antibiotics to keep her from getting a pelvic infection. She knew she should get up and take a pain pill, but her body wouldn't let her. Her alarm began the horrendous Beep Beep Beep. She groaned, annoyed at the loud, piercing tones and also for the muscle contractions she continuously felt.

Tristan heard the noise of an alarm, and it stirred him from his slumber. Emotionally, he didn't think he was ready to go back to school, but if Rory could do it then so could he. She was in a much weaker state than he, so Tristan sucked it up and rolled off the couch. Although the couch was pretty comfortable, it was still a couch; Tristan rubbed his neck and stretched, in order to wake himself up.

The alarm had stopped blaring, but there was no hint of movement coming from the door. Tristan wasn't sure if Rory was the kind of girl that hit the alarm three times before getting up. Somehow, he didn't think so. Yawning, he stood up and walked through the kitchen. Knocking on the door, he waited for a response. There was none.

"Hey Mary."

Nothing.

"Time to wake up, sleepy head."

Silence.

"Rory, babe. Are you okay?"

This time he heard a faint wail from the other side of the door. He opened the door and found Rory curled up in the fetal position with one hand on her stomach. She was whimpering and her eyes were closed tightly.

"Mary, are you okay?"

Rory moaned. "My stomach hurts."

"Okay. Do you need your medicine?"

Rory nodded vehemently and Tristan sprung up to grab the bottle of pills. Quickly extracting one, he filled a glass of water and hurried back to Rory. He helped her painfully sit up and she took the pill without hesitation. Tristan rubbed her back while they waited for the medicine to take effect.

"Are you sure you want to go to school, today?"

"Yes, God. Why do you and my mother keep asking me that?"

Tristan looked hurt when he heard the anger and annoyance in her tone. "We're just worried about you. Rory, you lost the baby on Friday. That was only two days ago. There's no way you can be fine. You're pushing your real feelings aside, and I know you. There is no way you're ready to go back to school."

"Yes I am," Rory adamantly replied.

"Oh really. Then how come I'm not?"

Rory didn't reply.

Tristan's hurt and anger with Rory's indifference finally spilled over. "You were pregnant. I know I can never understand what that is really like, but I know you feel a hell of a lot worse than I do. And honestly, I feel like shit."

"You're right. You have no idea what it feels like to be pregnant. And guess what? I'm kind of glad that I'm not pregnant anymore."

"You don't mean that," Tristan whispered.

"Yes I do," Rory told him, with tears threatening to fall as she said the lie she had been telling herself since this awful thing happened. "At least now no one will find out."

Tristan knew she was lying. He knew in his heart of hearts that she didn't mean any of the words leaving her sweet, innocent lips. So, he gave her a free pass. He nodded and stood up to go shower and get dressed. Rory walked into the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee and grabbed a donut.

When they were both dressed and ready, they climbed into Tristan's car and headed to school. Rory decided that if anybody asked her why they were in the same car, she'd just tell them that Tristan was nice enough to give her a ride. That would end any suspicion. As Rory walked into school, she was relieved to find no one looking at her. No fingers pointed. No laughing. No whispering. The young almost mother took a deep breath and headed into Chilton with the fair-haired boy she had grown to love.

Tristan and Rory had different first periods, so Tristan pulled Rory close to him and placed a tender kiss on her lips. She melted into him for a moment, but the warning bell brought her out of her happy place and back into the Chilton reality.

"Good luck on your history quiz," Tristan smiled.

"Thanks. See you at lunch?"

"Yup."

The two lovers parted ways and went about their days. Surprisingly, Rory was able to focus enough to do well on her history quiz. The rest of her classes were a nice distraction and a good source of normalcy. Even though she would have rather been in bed, she knew it was good to get out and keep her mind off of the incident. Lunch came around quickly and she hurried into the cafeteria to meet Tristan.

As she walked through the halls, she got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. All around her, people were staring and whispering. She tried telling herself that it was all in her head, but it was pretty obvious. As she waited in line for her food, unseen by the group in front of her, she overheard what they were talking about.

"… she came into the hospital completely unconscious. She was pregnant."

"No way. She would never…"

"I swear to God. She had a miscarriage and she's already back at school. I think it's because she doesn't want anyone to know about it."

"Who's the father?" another voice asked.

"Oh didn't you know? She and Tristan DuGrey have been very chummy ever since the Winter Dance when they left together."

"Wait, weren't you Tristan's date at that dance?"

"Yes, but he blew me off and had one of his buddies take me home," the girl bitterly replied.

Rory felt herself hyperventilating as she realized they were talking about her. How did they know? How could they possibly know? In a bit of a trance, Rory bought her food and sat down in her usual seat. Tristan was no where in site, and Rory wanted to cry. She opened her book and a note fell out. She picked it up and miserably read it.

_Hey Mary,_

_Sorry, I'm not going to be able to make lunch. Bobby insisted I go see his new car. I agreed before he asked too many questions about why I wasn't at his party. insert groan, and not the sexy kind ;) I'll see you right after, though, in Lit. _

_XXXXOOOO_

_Tristan_

Rory sat in her lonely bubble and ate her lunch while the rest of the world gossiped about her. She pretended not to notice by staring at her book and occasionally turning the page. As tears threatened to fall, she held them inside. After what seemed an eternity, lunch was over. She jumped up and ran to her locker. Quickly, she switched out her books and rushed to Mr. Medina's class. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw what was drawn on the board.

There was a picture of a girl holding a dead baby in her arms. Above the girl's head, _Tristan's Latest Conquest _was written in big bold letters. Before Rory had a chance to react, Tristan entered the classroom with a group of friends, including a very boisterous Bobby exclaiming that his car had eight cylinders and could go 0-60 in under five seconds. Tristan took one look at the chalk board and froze. Rory didn't even know he was there before she turned around and started to run. Tristan grabbed Rory before she could leave the classroom and pulled her towards his chest. He felt her body shudder in silent sobs.

"I'm so sorry, Mary. I don't know how they found out. I swear, I didn't know anything about this. It's okay. They don't know anything," Tristan whispered soothingly into her ear.

At that moment, Mr. Medina walked into the classroom.

"Good afternoon class. I hope…"

He froze when he saw the gruesome drawing on the board. Rory Gilmore was crying into Tristan DuGrey's chest and he was holding her. All in all it was one of the most awkward situations he had ever come across as a teacher. The rumors had reached the teachers, but he really doubted any truth in the matter. Well, until he saw the reactions of the two star players in the rumors. Mr. Medina wasn't so sure the rumors were just rumors. Calmly, he walked to the board and erased the horrific sketch.

"Paris Gellar. Could you please help Rory to the restroom?"

Paris nodded and gripped Rory's shoulders. Tristan hesitated before letting go, but he kissed the top of her head and released her. The class was silent as Paris helped Rory out the door and down the hall. Tristan, filled with hatred for whomever drew the cruel picture, turned towards the class. His jaw was set and his teeth were clenched.

"Who drew _that_?" he asked.

"Mr. DuGrey, please take your seat."

Tristan ignored him. "Believe me. I will find out. And when I do, you will be sorry."

The revulsion and abhorrence in Tristan's eyes was enough to make even the innocent squirm in their chairs. The class was silent and Mr. Medina again told Tristan to sit down. This time, Tristan obeyed, but his eyes still smoldered as he faced the front of the class. Mr. Medina even felt uncomfortable under his intense scrutiny.

"Whomever drew _that_ on the board better be ashamed of themselves. That was completely unacceptable behavior, and I will _never _see anything like that again in my classroom. Unfortunately, I can't prove who did it; but if I could, you better believe I would insure their immediate suspension. Furthermore, I would like a written apology on my desk by the end of the day," Mr. Medina sternly told the class.

He felt bad that there wasn't anything more he could do, but his hands were tied. Because he didn't see anyone drawing on the blackboard, he couldn't punish anyone. Mr. Medina felt awful, and he was shocked when a well-composed Rory returned to class and took her seat. He half expected her to stay in the rest room the rest of the day. As one student read _Beowulf_ aloud, Mr. Medina laid a note on both Tristan and Rory's desk asking them to stay after class.

**A/N:**What did you think? Please review, because sometimes I use reviewers' suggestions in my stories. Thanks for reading.


	18. Don't Do Anything Drastic

**Disclaimer:** Gilmore Girls has never belonged to me… and it probably will never belong to me tear

**A/N:** Hello my lovely reviewers! Thank you very much for all your support. Also thank Christi for making this story what it is. I hope you enjoy this chapter and all the chapters to come!

**Rating:** PG-13 (Violence)

Previously:

The revulsion and abhorrence in Tristan's eyes was enough to make even the innocent squirm in their chairs. The class was silent and Mr. Medina again told Tristan to sit down. This time, Tristan obeyed, but his eyes still smoldered as he faced the front of the class. Mr. Medina even felt uncomfortable under his intense scrutiny.

"Whoever drew _that_ on the board better be ashamed of themselves. That was completely unacceptable behavior, and I will _never _see anything like that again in my classroom. Unfortunately, I can't prove who did it; but if I could, you better believe I would insure their immediate suspension. Furthermore, I would like a written apology on my desk by the end of the day," Mr. Medina sternly told the class.

He felt bad that there wasn't anything more he could do, but his hands were tied. Because he didn't see anyone drawing on the blackboard, he couldn't punish anyone. Mr. Medina felt awful, and he was shocked when a well-composed Rory returned to class and took her seat. He half expected her to stay in the rest room the rest of the day. As one student read _Beowulf_ aloud, Mr. Medina laid a note on both Tristan and Rory's desk asking them to stay after class.

**Chapter 18:** Don't Do Anything Drastic

Rory and Tristan stared at the clock as the seconds ticked by. Tick… Tick… Tick…. Tick… There had to be something wrong with the clock. The class felt like an eternity as the two teens sat in their uncomfortable chairs waiting for the relief of a bell. Only for once, they wouldn't be saved by the bell. The bell meant it was time for their private meeting with Mr. Medina. Which was worse: staying in that class forever or discussing their personal tragedy with a teacher? Decisions, decisions. Reality made the decision for them, however, and the shrill bell signaled the end of class.

And then there were three.

Max Medina stood in front of the two teens feeling extremely uncomfortable. Tristan's eyes were still flaming as he stared in stony silence at his Literature teacher; Mr. Medina got the feeling he was busy plotting someone's death… it was quite unnerving. Mr. Medina decided to approach the situation as if that horrible drawing was just a rumor. He really hoped it was because no one at their age should have gone through such a horrible situation.

"I know this is kind of awkward. I just want to know why the two of you got so upset."

His question was met with silence from both sides of the couple.

He sighed and tried again. "I understand how incredibly cruel it was, but someone will start another rumor in a few days and it will all blow over."

Tears threatened to fall when Rory heard the words 'blow over.' No it wouldn't 'blow over.' She had a miscarriage and that would never just be forgotten. She knew it would haunt her until the day she died. It's something too horrible to be forgotten. The rational part in Rory's brain shut down her emotional side and told her to suck it up and stop being a cry baby. Millions of women have miscarried children and it was probably for the best. The emotional part snuck in one last line before being pushed out. _If it was for the best, then why do you feel like dying?_

Mr. Medina analyzed the teens and saw Rory's face turn bright red as tears threatened to fall. Tristan's jaw clenched and his gaze actually shifted away from Mr. Medina. Being released from the young man's penetrating glare was relieving until he realized what it really meant.

"It's not a rumor, is it?" he asked them quietly.

Rory's emotional side finally gained the upper hand, and a tear rolled down her cheek as she shakes her head. Max Medina felt sick in the pit of his stomach as he watched Rory fight for composure. He knew it was a losing battle, and a sob escaped her lips signaling that Rory had given up. Tristan turned around and saw Rory furiously wiping tears away and his gaze softened, momentarily.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea. You two may go," the literature teacher told them.

Rory had collected herself and shot Mr. Medina a grateful smile as she scooped up her things and walked out the classroom with Tristan.

"So, how are you holding up?" he asked her tenderly.

"Just peachy," Rory replied, sarcastically.

"Yes, this day has just gone smoothly, hasn't it?"

"Oh yes, I barely register the shocked stares anymore," Rory quipped.

Tristan smirked. "Mary, Mary. They're just jealous of your super hot boyfriend."

"Yeah, that's it," Rory said, while rolling her eyes.

Tristan's demeanor changed and he turned to Rory, very serious. Rory could tell instantly that he had shifted from their silly banter. She saw his smirk fall from his lips, and his eyebrows made a slight crease on his forehead. She felt her stomach lurch when she realized he was about to take their conversation to a serious level. Rory liked silly Tristan. She missed silly Tristan.

"I'm going to find out who drew that."

Rory sighed. "No you won't."

Tristan felt slightly irritated. "Mary…"

"I'm serious, Tristan," Rory said, with a look.

Tristan conceded, "Okay."

Well, he conceded to her face, but he was serious about finding whoever drew the horrible atrocity on the board. He couldn't believe anybody could be that cruel. Rory studied Tristan carefully. She knew he was lying to her when he said, 'okay,' but she didn't press him. They were both to the point of snapping and she couldn't stand to make him angry.

"I need to go to the library. I'll meet you by your locker after school, okay?"

Tristan knew he had to throw her off, so he put his sill façade back on. "Goodbye fair Juliet."

"Oh, Romeo. I shall count the hours until we meet again."

As Rory walked away, she heard Tristan's parting words all the way through her heart. "Parting is such sweet sorrow."

Tristan's grin faded as soon as Rory was out of sight. He was steaming angry. At that moment, Billy walked up to him and Tristan inwardly groaned. He was in no mood to handle anything Billy had to say.

"Hey Tristan."

"Hi."

"Um… Is it true?" Billy asked, cautiously.

Tristan had a choice. He could either deny the whole thing, or he could own up to it. He wasn't ashamed of what happened with Rory. They lost their child, and it was a horrible experience. He didn't care what the hell anybody thought, though, so he stared Billy straight in the eye.

"Yes."

"Oh my damn!"

"You're telling me."

"Dude! You lied to me, yesterday," Billy exclaimed.

Tristan gloomily muttered his response. "Well, we didn't exactly want to broadcast it."

Billy smiled. "I forgive you, and as I sign of my good will… I have some information."

"Information?" Tristan inquired, clearly intrigued.

"Mike Durcan drew the picture on the board."

Tristan was enraged. "WHAT!? Why the hell would he…"

"Dude, calm down! Apparently, he's still pissed about you taking Summer away from him."

Tristan was livid.

"That was an eternity ago! Summer dumped me and then got together with him!"

Billy sighed. "I know, but apparently he was still pissed and thought this was the perfect opportunity to get you back."

Tristan clenched his jaw. "Where is he?"

"Um… I probably shouldn't tell you, but I hope you nail the bastard for making a girl cry. He's in the courtyard."

Tristan ran off with that valuable piece of information. His blood was boiling and all he saw was red. His eyes were blazing as he raced towards the place where he could exact his revenge. He vaguely heard Billy saying something, but he ignored it as he saw red.

"Don't do anything drastic!" Billy called after him.

Mike Durcan was a very arrogant and rude individual. He was possessive over his women, and once he had a grudge against someone, he wasn't quick to forgive. His favorite place at Chilton to hang out was the courtyard. You're probably thinking, 'oh so he likes to be outside.' That wasn't the reason he liked the courtyard. The reason he hung around there is because outdoors equals wind and Chilton uniform equals skirts. Put those two together and he had a nice show most days of the week. He was so busy catching a glimpse of Traci Phillips' thong that he didn't even see the first blow coming.

Tristan was far beyond reason, and he ran right up to Mike and sucker punched him right in the face. Mike reeled backwards with shock and surprise. Then he saw who hit him and his violent temper exploded. No way was lover boy DuGrey getting away with that. Mike swore and lunged back at Tristan, but Tristan was faster and jumped out of his way. He then shoved Mike onto the ground. Needless to say, Mike was pissed!

He stood up and took a swing at Tristan. Unfortunately, Tristan landed right in the path of his fist. It hit him in his jaw and he felt a trickle of blood. He wasn't anywhere near being finished and he jumped forward and plowed his fists into the cruel guy. Mike was stunned at how hard Tristan was beating him. His head spun and he tried to hit back, but Mike could barely breathe as Tristan punched him in the ribs. At that point, a few teachers ran up and separated the two boys.

"What do you think your doing?" One teacher yelled.

"I was trying to teach that jackass a lesson," Tristan spat.

Coach Brown tried to drag him away, but Tristan just remembered the feeling of Rory burrowing her head in his chest. That got him angry all over again and Tristan broke away and punched Mike in the face. Hard. Mike screamed as blood started pouring from his face.

"That was for Rory."

Tristan sat in the Headmasters' office glumly. His father was on the way and Tristan wanted to run away. Far away. He never wanted to see his father again because until he turned eighteen, his father still had control over his life. Mike Durcan's father had already came and left with him. Mike was suspended for fighting and drawing such a vulgar drawing on the board. Tristan had to hand it to Mr. Medina for helping him out. If Mr. Medina hadn't backed him up on the offensive nature of the drawing, the entire incident would have been pinned on Tristan alone. Tristan was also being suspended for a week. It wasn't the first time. He really hoped it was the last, though.

Tristan's father was steaming as he walked into the headmaster's office. He was fed up with his son's behavior. First, he knocked up some girl, and now he gets into a fight. Tristan was being completely inconsiderate. Didn't his son realize that he had a job and obligations? He was so angry and he wanted to scream some sense into Tristan's head.

"Let's go, Tristan."

"Dad…" Tristan started.

"Now!" he yelled in return.

Tristan stood up and followed his father out of the office. Mr. DuGrey spun around, suddenly, and Tristan almost ran into him.

"You're going to military school."

"What!"

"You are going to military school. I'm tired of this, Tristan. First, you get some girl pregnant and now you're getting in fights. That's it."

"Dad! Come on. You don't know what he did. He deserved…"

"I don't care, Tristan."

Before Tristan could yell at his father, Rory walked up to his locker. He saw her and walked over to her.

"Hey. Are you ready to go?"

"Rory, I did something stupid."

"Uh oh. How stupid?"

"Um… I sort of punched Mike Durcan and got suspended."

"Tristan!" Rory chastised.

"I know, but that's not the worst of it."

Rory had a bad feeling about what he was about to say.

"My father just informed me that I'm going to military school."

"What? Military school. But…"

"Tristan. Come on. Now."

Rory sighed as tears threatened to fall. Her world was falling apart. Tristan was her constant and now he was leaving. She had nothing to connect them anymore, and he was leaving. She felt her heart begin to ache.

"You should go," she whispered quietly.

"I have to take Rory home," Tristan called to his father.

"I'm sure the young _lady_ can find her own way home," he quipped.

"No she can't and she won't."

"Fine, I'm through dealing with you, Tristan. You'll be in military school next week. Until then, do whatever the hell you want."

Rory's heart sank as she watched Tristan's father walk away. Tristan was leaving her in a week. Seven short little days. He would be gone.

"Let's go," Tristan said quietly, knowing she was disappointed in him.

"Why would you punch Mike Durcan? I mean, he's a total jerk, but why would you……… Oh, it was him. Wasn't it?"

Tristan nodded, but remained silent. Rory almost started crying right then, but held her tears in. She'd cried enough for the rest of her life.

"Um, we should head to Stars Hollow, or Mom will start to worry."

"Okay."

As they walked towards Tristan's car, he reached out and took Rory's hand. She couldn't hold back and one single tear trickled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away, not wanting him to see. He did see and it broke his heart.

**A/N**: I hope you liked it. Please Review!!! It'll just take a second, I promise! Oh yeah. If you review, Chad Michael Murray will appear and do your bidding…. SO PUSH THE BUTTON.


	19. Silence and Tears

-1**Disclaimer:** I don't own Gilmore Girls, or any of the characters. I just use them in my own twisted plots.

**A/N:** I am overwhelmed by the huge number of reviews! I get warm fuzzies every time I see new reviews. I'd like to thank Christi for all her help on this story.

**Rating:** PG-13

Previously:

Rory's heart sank as she watched Tristan's father walk away. Tristan was leaving her in a week. Seven short little days. He would be gone.

"Let's go," Tristan said quietly, knowing she was disappointed in him.

"Why would you punch Mike Durcan? I mean, he's a total jerk, but why would you……… Oh, it was him. Wasn't it?"

Tristan nodded, but remained silent. Rory almost started crying right then, but held her tears in. She'd cried enough for the rest of her life.

"Um, we should head to Stars Hollow, or Mom will start to worry."

"Okay."

As they walked towards Tristan's car, he reached out and took Rory's hand. She couldn't hold back and one single tear trickled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away, not wanting him to see. He did see and it broke his heart.

**Chapter 19:** Silence and Tears

Rory didn't say a word on the entire ride home. She was too upset to open her mouth, because she feared that she would start crying if she did. So, Rory kept her mouth shut in a tight line and stared out the window. Tristan was partially ashamed for what he did, but on the other hand he wouldn't have changed anything. Besides, he had a plan for how to get out of this. He didn't want to tell Rory in case it didn't work out, but he was going to try.

The teens finally pulled into Rory's driveway and they trudged into the house. Rory hoped to hear the reassuring voice of her mother, but the house was deathly silent. Sighing, Rory walked into the kitchen table and saw the note.

_Rory and Bible Boy,_

_I'm working late at the inn, tonight, and then I have class. Take care of my little girl, Tristan. Or else. I don't really know what I'll do, but it will be painful… trust me. Eat whatever. I'll be back as soon as I can._

_Love, _

_Your absolutely magnificent mother, AKA Lorelai the Great, for Tristan_

"_Great,"_ Rory thought.

She was really hoping for a buffer. Rory didn't want to talk to her mother, but by having her here it would make the unbearable silence end. Rory did the only thing her raging hormones would allow her to do. She smashed the note down on the table and stalked into her room, slamming it shut behind her. It was too much for her to bear, and she leaned against the back of her door and slid down to the floor. Rory pulled her knees up and buried her head in her arms. The tears she held back all day long finally came to the surface.

She sobbed almost silently, except with the occasional gasp for air. It was the kind of cry that made her chest ache. Her head felt swollen, like it would explode at any moment, and she couldn't breathe.

Tristan was bewildered by her actions. They were holding hands in the parking lot, and now she shut herself in her room. He picked up the piece of paper she smacked onto the table and read it.

"_Great," _he thought to himself. _"I'm all alone with her. I don't know what to say! How can I explain that I had to do it?"_

Tristan walked over to her bedroom door and raised his hand to knock. At that moment, he heard her take a gasp and let out a little sob. She was crying. He felt like slitting his wrists. Tristan quietly turned her door knob and began pushing the door, but it was stuck. He gave it a shove, and heard a muffled cry on the other end.

"Rory?" Tristan quietly called to her.

Rory felt the door opening, and she dug her heels into the floor to keep him out. She didn't want to talk to him. She didn't want to see him. She just wanted to be left alone. When he called her name, so sweetly, she just felt anger building up within her. She stood up and swung the door open.

Tristan regretted interrupting her the moment he saw her face. Her face was flushed, and she had tear streaks all the way down her cheeks. Her eyes were puffy, and her entire body was shaking uncontrollably. On top of that, she was still sobbing.

Rory knew she looked ridiculous, but at this point it was out of her control. She looked at Tristan with all the anger and sadness she had buried in her soul.

"L-l-leave me-he alone!" she screamed, her voice broken up by sobs.

She slammed the door behind her and collapsed on her bed to wallow in self-pity. Rory hated her life. It wasn't fair. So, Rory laid on her bed and cried for her child. She cried for losing Tristan. She cried because she loved him so much, but he didn't love her back. But mostly, she cried because she would never get the chance to make him love her. Tristan sat down and listened to her cry. That was his self-inflicted punishment. After all, it was all his fault.

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After an hour, Tristan had had enough. He couldn't stand it any more, so he decided to get something done. Tristan picked up his phone and called his lawyer to set up a meeting. Since he was suspended from school, he had the rest of the week to try to get out of this. The rest of the week to get emancipated from his parents.

He had plenty of grounds. After all, his mother was a drunk and his father didn't care about him at all. That was evident by all the time his father spent away from his family. The list of girls he had cheated on his mother with, and his father had even beaten him a few times. Tristan had been smart enough to take pictures of his bruises in case it ever came to this. All he had to do was get a judge to agree with him and then he could stay with Rory.

Tristan exited the kitchen and took out his cell phone in order to call the best lawyer he knew. His cousin, Dawson Knowles. Dawson was a cut-throat lawyer, and since Tristan was related to him, he knew that Dawson would do whatever he could to get him emancipated.

"Dawson Knowles speaking. How may I help you?" Tristan's cousin greeted.

"Hey Dawson, it's Tristan."

"Tristan! Hey man, what's going on?"

"I'm in a bit of trouble, and I was wondering if you could help me out."

"What sort of trouble," Dawson asked, concerned.

"Okay, I got into a fight at school and my dad is having me sent to military school. That is, unless I can get emancipated."

"Emancipated! Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I really am. I was wondering if you could have it done this week."

Dawson almost choked. "You want me to get a hearing set up, and have all the paperwork done in a week! Are you crazy?"

"No, but I am desperate. Please tell me you can do this. Please."

"Well, how about you come by my office tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I'll set up a meeting with a judge on Thursday if I can. I'm not going to make any promises, but you're just lucky this isn't the most difficult legal thing to do."

"Should I bring all my evidence?"

"Evidence? You have evidence?" Dawson inquired.

"Yeah, Dad's given me a few nasty beatings in his drunken stupor, so I decided to take pictures of my bruises. Just in case, you know."

"Well, this actually will probably speed up the process, then. I'll say it's for a minor's safety."

Tristan smiled, sure this would work. "Thanks Dawson. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Tristan hung up the phone and had a burst of hope. This would work. It had to work. At that moment, Rory's door swung open. Tristan watched his girlfriend walk into the bathroom. He heard the water running, and after a couple of minutes, she emerged, drying her face.

"I'm going to change my clothes and then we can get something to eat, okay?"

"Alright, Rory."

Her door shut again, but it was opened a couple of minutes later. He saw that she had put on a little makeup, which was odd for her. Rory didn't need any makeup, and she only wore it on special occasions. Rory was using it as a mask. She was trying to hide her feelings and her pain behind a layer of cosmetics, and it really bothered Tristan. She looked nice, but she didn't look like Rory. He didn't say anything to her about it, but it really showed him that she wasn't as stable as she let on. Rory was cracking. He had a feeling it was only a matter of time before she completely broke.

"Is Luke's okay?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, that's fine," Tristan told her.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luke hadn't heard from the Gilmore's since "the incident." He wondered how Rory was doing, but he was afraid to go over there. Luke was sure that she wasn't ready for visitors. He busied himself in his work, and tried to ignore all the gossip. Everyone knew about the baby. In a small town like Stars Hollow, nothing stayed secret for long. Luke looked up as the door rang, and he was shocked when he saw the customers.

"Rory. Are you okay?" Luke asked, concern etched into his face.

Rory was so sick of everyone asking her that. "Yeah, Luke. I'm fine. We'll just sit at the bar."

"Can I get you something?" Luke asked.

"I'll have some coffee," Rory ordered.

"I'll just have some water," Tristan said, quietly.

Tristan began looking at a menu, and Rory looked around at all the staring eyes. Everyone knew. Her mother told her otherwise, but she knew just by looking at everyone. She didn't care, though. She set her gaze, and stared right back at all of them. They quickly turned away. Satisfied, she turned back around just in time for her coffee to be served.

"So, how are you, really?" Luke asked, in a very low voice.

Rory looked at him, and she almost lost her composure right there in that chair.

"I'm…"

Rory ended it with a shrug. How was she supposed to finish that sentence? Was she supposed to tell Luke that she was so depressed that the thought of eating even made her want to vomit? Was she supposed to tell Luke that the man she loved was being sent away from her? Was she supposed to tell Luke that she wished every day it had been her instead of her baby?

"Rory, can you come upstairs for a minute?" Luke asked her.

Rory nodded and followed the man that was like a father to her up the stairs to his apartment. She stood in the kitchen awkwardly, waiting for Luke to close the door. Luke shut the door quietly and faced Rory. He still thought of her as the little girl he made mashed potatoes for when she had the chicken pox. But she wasn't a little girl anymore. She had grown up so much over the last few months.

"Rory, I know you're hurting. Do you want to talk about it?"

Rory was taken aback. No one had asked her that. Everyone had just assumed that she wanted to be alone. She pondered his question and really thought about it. Did she want to talk about _it_?

"I don't know," she told him, honestly.

"I just don't know what's going on, anymore. I feel like I'm going to snap at any moment."

"Then snap," Luke told her.

"I can't. You don't understand. It's all going to hell."

Luke raised an eyebrow at her use of language, but decided to let her get it all out.

"What's going to hell, Rory?"

"My life. Everything. It's all falling apart. I had a plan! I was going to finish high school at the top of my class and get in to Harvard. I would become a journalist and if I met somebody fine, and if not then I'd travel the world. But now… everything's changed."

Luke remained silent and let her rant.

"I was pregnant, Luke. I was so scared. Oh my God, all I could think about was how hard it was going to be telling everyone. I was so caught up in my life that I let myself get too stressed out. I didn't worry about my child, and now it's dead. Luke, my baby is dead and it's all my fault."

"No it's not, Rory," Luke told her, firmly.

"Oh yes it is. And now… Tristan's leaving me."

Luke gritted his teeth. "What?!"

"It's not his fault. His father is sending him to military school because of the fight, but that's not his fault either."

"Could you tell me what is his fault? Because it sounds like all of this is his fault," Luke said, growing angrier by the second.

"No it's not. I was so mad at him, but it's not his fault. It's my fault. Everyone found out about the miscarriage. And this guy drew a picture on the board," Rory's voice broke at that second and hot tears dripped down her cheeks.

"He drew that p-picture. Tristan was s-so mad. H-he beat the c-crap out of h-him for it. Now, h-he's l-l-leaving m-m-me. I can't do th-this all alone."

At that point she was crying, and Luke walked over and gave her a hug. Rory buried her head into his chest and bawled. She couldn't take this anymore. She had to get out. Rory had to get out of there.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go."

Rory opened the door and ran down the stairs and out the door. Everyone stared at Luke as he came down. Tristan just sat their, completely stupefied as to what happened.

Luke turned to Tristan. "She's not doing so good. I'd go after her if I were you."

Tristan understood and ran out of the diner. He had no idea where she would be, but he had to find her.

"Rory!" he screamed, then he tripped over something.

He looked down and saw it was a small paperback book. He knew which way Rory had gone and he began to run. He'd run forever if he had to.

**A/N:** What did you think? Please tell me! I live for reviews. It's sad, but true.


	20. The Mask

-1**Disclaimer:** I wish… I wish… I wish… I wish to go to the festival… I wish… I wish…. I wish to own Gilmore Girls… I wish…. (from the musical _Into the Woods_)

**A/N:** You should all thank "Alternate Personalities" for knocking me out of a writer's block phase!!! Also, I'd like to thank all my loyal readers/reviewers! You guys are fantastic, and without you I don't know if I would have the same desire to write, so thanks! Also, a quick shout out to Christi, my wonderful beta. You rock!

Previously:

"He drew that p-picture. Tristan was s-so mad. H-he beat the c-crap out of h-him for it. Now, h-he's l-l-leaving m-m-me. I can't do th-this all alone."

At that point she was crying, and Luke walked over and gave her a hug. Rory buried her head into his chest and bawled. She couldn't take this anymore. She had to get out. Rory had to get out of there.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go."

Rory opened the door and ran down the stairs and out the door. Everyone stared at Luke as he came down. Tristan just sat their, completely stupefied as to what happened.

Luke turned to Tristan. "She's not doing so good. I'd go after her if I were you."

Tristan understood and ran out of the diner. He had no idea where she would be, but he had to find her.

"Rory!" he screamed, then he tripped over something.

He looked down and saw it was a small paperback book. He knew which way Rory had gone and he began to run. He'd run forever if he had to.

**Chapter 20:** The Mask

Rory's body ached as she ran, but there was no way she could possibly stop. She had to go to the one place she felt safe. The only place where she could be alone without worrying about people whispering about or laughing at her. The conversation with Luke still echoed in her ears. After what seemed like an eternity, she reached the place that made her feel like a child. The place made her feel strangely at peace. Her childhood home.

Rory silently opened the door and looked at the yellowed wallpaper her mother had put up so many years ago. She quietly walked over to the place their bed used to be and laid down on the floor. Pulling her knees to her chest, she closed her eyes. She was exhausted, and the old potting shed was so familiar and so comforting that she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Tristan stared at the cover of _The Catcher in the Rye_ and knew exactly where Rory went. She told him once during lunch that Holden Caulfield was her character of choice whenever she found herself feeling depressed.

"_Tristan, you can't tell anyone this, but when I'm really feeling bad, I take that book and go to the potting shed behind the Independence Inn to read."_

_Tristan started laughing. "Why there, Mary?"_

_Rory grinned. "Because that's where I grew up. My mother ran away from home after she had me, and she got a job as a maid at the Inn. Mia, the owner, let us stay in the shed out back. Whenever I'm there, I just feel comforted. It's hard to explain."_

Tristan ran towards the Inn, but had trouble locating the small one-roomed building. Finally, as he circled around the Inn, he saw it sitting in the middle of a field of flowers. There were a couple of trees around it, keeping it partially hidden from the rest of the world.

Opening the door, he saw Rory lying in the fetal position sound asleep. He shut the door just as quietly as he had opened it and joined Rory on the floor. When he wrapped his arms around her, she immediately leaned into him. Tristan inhaled her scent and silently prayed that Rory would be okay. That they would both be okay. It seemed that all hope was lost, but he refused to give up. All he had to do was get emancipated, but there was no way in hell that he was going to tell Rory about it. If he got her hopes up just to have them smashed, it would break her.

Leaning forward, Tristan stared at her mesmerizing ear and smiled.

"I love you, Rory," he whispered quietly to the sleeping form.

He didn't know why he couldn't bring himself to tell her that while she was awake, but Tristan just couldn't. He had tried in the past, but every time his voice failed him, and he ended up making some crude joke. This was different, though. The thought of how badly Rory was hurting made him want to take all her pain on himself. Tristan hated the thought of her being in so much emotional torment, but there was nothing he could do about it. All he could do was hold her while she slept in an undisturbed slumber, and hope they would both make it through this trying time.

Rory opened her eyes to find two strong arms encircling her waist. She shifted positions and was startled to see two intense blue eyes staring into hers. His eyes were full of guilt, sadness, and concern. She gave him a weak smile and turned around to completely face him. Words were not needed. Rory knew he felt what she was feeling. It was almost spooky, but they didn't need to verbally express their true feelings because they both knew. Tristan leaned forward and kissed Rory, tenderly. She lost herself in his soft lips and just let herself be taken care of. Tristan kissed every part of her face, and Rory let out an involuntary shiver when he leaned forward to kiss her eyelids. This wasn't the horny, 'I need you right now,' kind of kissing. It was sweet and gentle. Full of… Rory's heart sank with that thought. His kisses were full of love. Rory felt his love the same way she had in the hospital. Tristan showed it by softly caressing her tongue with his and just holding her close to him.

Rory almost felt happy and whole for the first time since she found out she was pregnant. Tristan stopped kissing her and touched his nose to hers, rubbing them together, softly. It was such intimate togetherness that Rory had craved. She needed him next to her to draw strength from. Lord knew he had a lot of it. His solid chest felt like a shield to keep the nasty world away from her. But he was leaving, and that meant he was taking her shield with him.

Tristan closed his eyes and leaned in to kiss Rory again, but he felt something very wet and salty hit his lips. He opened his eyes and saw that Rory was crying, again. Tristan felt terrible for thinking it, but he was glad that she finally allowed herself to feel. Hard, uncaring Rory had freaked him out. This was how it was supposed to be. Tristan sat up and pulled Rory up, to. Her lower lip quivered as he hugged her. Tristan stroked her hair and Rory buried her face in his shoulder and let out a sob. He ran his fingers through her hair and felt a tear slide down his own cheek. There was a very real possibility that he could be sent away from her, and Tristan knew he couldn't stand it if it really happened.

Rory was stunned to feel Tristan starting to shake, but she felt better at the same time. He was sad, too. She wasn't alone. He really felt upset about how everything was unraveling in their lives. Rory hugged him tighter as the two of them cried together. It was a bittersweet moment, but they both desperately needed to feel a connection with other person. Finally, they both calmed down and Tristan pulled away from Rory, looking into her azure pools.

"Why are you wearing makeup, Rory?"

Rory glanced down, breaking eye contact. He refused to back down, though, so Tristan lifted her chin with his finger and stared into her soul. Rory knew she had to tell the truth.

"I just wanted to hide."

"Why?" Tristan asked her, in a low, soft voice.

"Because I don't want anyone to know how I really feel. Not even you."

"What? Why don't you want me to know, Rory?" Tristan pressed, knowing she had to come clean with him if she wanted to heal.

"I'm supposed to be strong. And I just feel so weak and vulnerable. I hate this. I just want to feel normal again," she ranted.

Leaning forward, he kissed her again and pulled her to her feet. Grabbing her by the hand he led her out of the shed and towards her home. He would have loved to stay there with her forever, but her mother would be home soon. As soon as they walked through the door, Rory remembered something.

"Wait, we still haven't eaten anything."

Tristan smiled. "Oh yeah. Do you want me to go pick something up?"

"Yeah. I don't think I can handle facing the town again."

"No problem, Mary."

Tristan walked out the door, leaving Rory in complete silence. Again. Rory turned around just as she heard the door swing open. Thinking it was her mother, Rory plastered a fake smile on her face and turned around. Tristan saw her pained smile and leaned forward to kiss her soundly. Rory craved his touch and let herself melt into the kiss. He pulled away from her and then disappeared out the door again. Tristan was bothered by that masking smile she had on her face. It was obvious that she didn't think it was him. Was this how it was going to be from here on? She would only let him know what she was feeling. Her mother would be kept out of the loop. Tristan knew that was not healthy or right. Rory had always needed her mother. They were best friends, and Tristan knew when he got back they would have to talk about it.

Unfortunately, by the time Tristan got back, Lorelai was already home. It was obvious to Tristan that Rory hadn't told her mother about what happened at school. They had pulled out some candy and were sitting on the couch chatting about some anecdote that happened at the inn.

"So then, Michel started screaming at these guests about bathrobes and talking about how he knew it was them because of their moles."

Rory laughed, but it wasn't a pleasant sound. It sounded strained, hollow, and… forced somehow. Tristan noticed she had reapplied her eye makeup and it really irked him. He felt like she was slowly slipping away from reality. All the progress they made was fading fast behind her mask. Tristan shut the door and both Gilmore's turned to look at him. Rory's guilty face gave Tristan a tiny bit of satisfaction.

"I brought dinner."

"Thanks," Rory said, quietly.

Lorelai glanced between the two teens and knew something had happened. Rory was hiding her feelings, and Tristan seemed somewhat upset by that. Of course Lorelai knew what her baby was feeling deep down. She was her mother, after all. Lorelai decided to go upstairs to take a shower and get ready for bed while the two mature teenagers sorted things out.

"What?" Rory asked Tristan.

"You put your makeup back on. And earlier, when you thought I was your mom, you put on that fake smile."

"It's no big deal."

Tristan silently stood up and went into the bathroom. She heard the water running, and a second later, Tristan returned with a wet washcloth.

"If it's no big deal, then wipe it off."

Rory raised an eyebrow, but his icy stare never left her lined eyes. She met his look with a pout and smeared her makeup as she tried to take it off. Tristan watched her intently. She looked very raccoon-like at first, but the black slowly came off. The washcloth was covered in mascara by the time she finished. Tristan smiled as he looked into her fresh, clean face.

"Now there's my Mary."

"I didn't realize it bothered you that much."

"It's not the makeup that bothers me. What drives me crazy is the fact that you're trying to hide. It scares me, Rory."

"Why?" she asked quietly.

"Because burying your feelings will eat you up inside."

Rory's eyes brimmed with tears, and Tristan knew what she needed. Rory couldn't keep clinging to him, especially because of what could possibly happen in a week. She needed to learn how to rely on her mother for support. The shower had long since been off, and Lorelai was probably just holed up in her room trying to give her daughter some space. Rory didn't need space to get better.

"Rory, I think you should talk to your mother."

"What?" she asked.

Tristan was now confident that a long mother-daughter talk was what Rory needed.

"You need to talk to her about your feelings. Anything you're keeping inside that you can't tell me about."

"But…"

"Don't give me that, Rory. I know there some dark thoughts that you aren't telling me about. We haven't even discussed the fact that my dad is trying to send me away. I know it's hard for you to tell me, so I want you to tell your mom."

Rory looked at this sweet man whom she loved so dearly and gave him a gentle kiss on his lips.

"You're right. I do need to talk to her. Thank you."

"Your welcome, my Mary," he whispered, nuzzling her neck.

Rory gave him a genuine smile and climbed up the stairs to talk to her Mom. She had no idea what she was going to say to her, but she knew a serious talk was definitely going to help her move past this. Lorelai had been through a teenage pregnancy. She truly understood what Rory was going through when it came to the whispering and pointing. Rory quietly knocked on her mother's door when she saw the light was on.

"Come in."

Rory opened the door, and Lorelai smiled when she saw her daughter's beautiful, bare face. Instantly, she knew that Rory had finally come to really talk. Deep down, even though she didn't exactly love Tristan, she knew he was the one that pushed Rory to come to her.

"Hey babe, what's going on?"

Rory's eyes filled with tears and she told her mother everything. She told her about how angry she felt and how she blamed herself for losing the baby. Rory told her mother about the rumor, the picture, the fight, and military school. And Lorelai was an angel. She just sat there and let Rory rant and cry. When Rory finally stopped talking, Lorelai moved towards her and hugged her.

"I know this has been a difficult day, but you'll make it through this. And the miscarriage was not your fault, Rory. God, you were telling me that it wasn't my fault at the hospital, so I'm going to tell you the same thing. Your body just couldn't handle the pregnancy, and it was just too much stress, honey."

Rory sighed. "I know that. I really do, but I just can't help thinking that if I'd waited a little longer to tell everyone. Or if I hadn't let it get to me, my baby would still be here."

As she said the last sentence, her hand moved to her stomach. She rubbed her hollow womb and then let her hand drop.

"I stopped bleeding, today."

Lorelai looked up, a little surprised. "Already?"

"Yeah, the doctors said the cramping and bleeding would stop in a few days. It actually makes me feel worse, though. It's like it's really over now."

Lorelai thought for a moment before replying. "Or it could be a positive thing."

"How?" Rory asked.

"Now you can really move past it. Your body has healed itself, so you can return to normal."

"Mom, I'll never be completely normal again."

"I know, but you can grow from this. You have experienced something more terrible than I could ever imagine, and honey, you're a stronger person than I am."

"Really?" Rory asked, not feeling very strong at all.

"Yes really. I really admire you, Rory. You're the strongest woman I know."

"Woman?"

"I'd say this experience qualifies you for womanhood, so welcome to the club."

Rory smiled softly and gave her mother a hug. "Goodnight Mom."

"Goodnight Rory. I love you."

"I love you too," Rory said as she walked out of her mother's room.

Tristan was lying on the couch, flipping through the channels. Rory walked over to him and he sat up when he noticed her presence.

"You don't have to get up, Tristan."

"It's okay. How did it go?" he asked her, trying not to pry.

"I really needed that talk with her. It was great. Thank you."

"Anything for my Mary."

At that moment, his phone beeped, and Rory looked at him with confusion as he stood up and left the room without a word. Rory was a little surprised when he returned with a glass of water and a Vikadin.

"Oh, I don't need those, anymore."

"What do you mean?" Tristan asked, clearly not understanding the female body.

"I'm not bleeding, anymore," Rory said, turning a little red.

"Oh. So it's…"

"Over." Rory whispered.

Tristan set both down on the coffee table and joined Rory on the couch. They both felt a sense of finality. Maybe their wounds could finally heal, or at least turn to scars. Rory wished she had scars rather than open bloody wounds. Maybe now she could finally move past this nightmare. Of course, she didn't want to move past this nightmare and into the next one. Tristan leaving.  
_  
"He promised me he'd never leave me," _Rory thought, hoping he would stick to his promise and find a way to stay.

It seemed hopeless, though.


End file.
